Giant Balloon, Helicopter To Soar Over Midtown

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Two aircraft — one piloted, and one inflated — will take to the skies over Midtown Manhattan this week.

From around 4:25 p.m. to 6:25 p.m. Thursday, a white Bell 206L4 helicopter will hover near Times Square, according to the NYPD, which did not specify the purpose of the flyover. It will fly at around 2,000 feet — or about 550 feet higher than the tip of the Empire State Building's spire

Then, sometime on Friday, a tethered balloon will be launched near the corner of Fifth Avenue and West 44th Street for "a photography project," according to a Notify NYC alert.

The city didn't offer many details, saying only that the balloon could be in the skies between 6 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. each day through Sunday.

The white-and-orange balloon will resemble a typical weather balloon, and will not rise any higher than the tallest building in the area, the city said.