(see Part 1 here)

A flyover of F-16 fighter jets is not a long thing – seconds. So, after my journey to the west side of Manhattan for what turned out to be a momentary event at 1PM, I and a friend were left dressed and equipped with camera equipment for an outing and little to show for the effort. However, the Air Force Week schedule of events for New York City indicated that at 2:45 PM there would be a helicopter rescue demonstration in the Hudson River near Pier 86, the location of the Intrepid. This seemed to promise good photo opportunities, so we remained, chatting to a TV crew member and other photographers to pass the 1.5 hours left until demonstration time.

The preparations for the demonstration began with a FDNY fireboat, jetting huge plumes of water – an impressive sight. Next, a Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter appeared in the skies, and the rescue mission began. Along with today’s photos (see gallery here), I took video of the entire mock rescue, which can be found below…