. ▁ ▁Because ▁of ▁the ▁heavy ▁commercial ▁air ▁traffic ▁into ▁New ark , ▁La Gu ard ia , ▁and ▁Kennedy ▁air ports , ▁an ▁air ▁traffic ▁control ▁clear ance ▁is ▁required ▁to ▁operate ▁in ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁air space ▁around ▁the ▁city . ▁Since ▁A TC ▁is ▁often ▁unw illing ▁to ▁grant ▁this ▁dis cret ion ary ▁V FR ▁clear ance ▁because ▁of ▁traffic ▁volume , ▁many ▁air plan es ▁that ▁need ▁to ▁trans it ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁met ro ▁area ▁use ▁the ▁V FR ▁cor rid or ▁as ▁an ▁alternative ▁to ▁going ▁east ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁( over ▁water ) ▁or ▁west ▁( t ow ard ▁Pennsylvania ). ▁The ▁cor rid or ▁is ▁also ▁heavily ▁used ▁by ▁hel ic opter ▁tour ▁companies , ▁which ▁take ▁passengers ▁on ▁sight - see ing ▁t ours ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁sky line . ▁ ▁Background ▁Visual ▁flight ▁rules ▁on ▁the ▁river ▁cor rid ors ▁by ▁Manh attan ▁have ▁been ▁subject ▁to ▁considerable ▁debate ▁since ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁plane ▁crash , ▁in ▁which ▁New ▁York ▁Yan ke es ▁pitch er ▁C ory ▁L id le ▁crash ed ▁into ▁an ▁a partment ▁building ▁while ▁flying ▁using ▁visual ▁flight ▁rules ▁on ▁the ▁East ▁River . ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁aircraft ▁collision ▁over ▁the ▁Hudson ▁River ▁since ▁ 1 9 7 6 . ▁ ▁The ▁collision , ▁which ▁occurred ▁opposite ▁ 1 4 th ▁Street ▁in ▁Manh attan , ▁was ▁about ▁ 4 0 ▁blocks ▁south ▁of ▁where ▁US ▁Air ways ▁Fl ight