The Northeast Megalopolis, with more than 50 million residents, is the most populous metropolitan region in the United States. Also called the ‘Boston-Washington Corridor’ or just ‘BosWash’, this megaregion is composed of Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., some of the most renowned, and influential, cities not just in the United States, but in all of history.
This journey visits the most iconic and beautiful of this region. It ties together the famous with the less travelled, the grand with the subdued, granting an experience that mirrors the diversity of the cities and surroundings that compose this region so incredible.
Beginning in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the flight heads south, visiting Boston, coastal destinations including Cape Cod and Long Island, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., exploring these storied places and their surroundings.
Assistance on the trip will be available in the form of a ‘Back on Track’ button on the VFR Map — however, be advised that using this will disable achievements tied to the activity.
Total Legs: 9 Total Distance: 590 Total Time(125kts): 4 hours 43 minutes
Leg 1
Portsmouth Intl At Pease to Logan Intl
Leg Distance: 63.91 Approximate time at 125kts: 31 minutes.
Portsmouth Intl At Pease(KPSM) to Eel Pond(POI1)
Distance: 6.28NM Bearing: 171° 3 minutes
After lifting off from Portsmouth International Airport, pass over Interstate 95 and then cross over the Great Bog, sighting Eel Pond on the Atlantic’s Gulf of Maine coast.
Eel Pond(POI1) to Hampton(POI2)
Distance: 3.71NM Bearing: 232° 2 minutes
Track the coast, remaining just inland, to the city of Hampton.
Hampton(POI2) to Plum Island Point(POI3)
Distance: 6.96NM Bearing: 195° 3 minutes
Continue following the coastline as the journey enters Massachusetts, enjoying the sights of the Atlantic Ocean, Hampton Harbor, and Blackwater River en route to Plum Island Point, located where the Merrimack River meets the sea.
Plum Island Point(POI3) to Crane Beach(POI4)
Distance: 8.96NM Bearing: 172° 4 minutes
From Plum Island Point, stay just offshore to reach Crane Beach.
Crane Beach(POI4) to Rockport(POI5)
Distance: 5.75NM Bearing: 116° 3 minutes
Cross Annisquam Harbor to reach Cape Ann and the town of Rockport, which lies on its northeast quadrant on Sandy Bay.
Rockport(POI5) to Gloucester(POI6)
Distance: 3NM Bearing: 227° 1 minutes
Cross over Cape Pond to reach Gloucester, on Cape Ann’s Gloucester Harbor.
Gloucester(POI6) to Marblehead(POI7)
Distance: 10.97NM Bearing: 247° 5 minutes
Set a course to the southwest, skirting the coast by Manchester-by-the-Sea, and then passing between Misery Island and Bakes Island on the outer reaches of Salem Sound to reach Marblehead, which lies at the northern end of a small peninsula in Massachusetts Bay. The skyline of Boston, the northern anchor of the Northeast Megalopolis, looms ever larger, and clearer, with each mile traveled.
Marblehead(POI7) to Cambridge(POI8)
Distance: 13.82NM Bearing: 248° 7 minutes
From Marblehead, skirt the coast and then continue inland, passing into the northernmost part of Northeast Megalopolis. Fly to the west of Boston proper to Cambridge.
Cambridge(POI8) to Boston(POI9)
Distance: 2.12NM Bearing: 127° 1 minutes
Cross the Charles River to experience downtown Boston, including the skyscrapers 200 Clarendon Street, 111 Huntington, and Prudential Tower. Boston is the most populous city in Massachusetts and is the state’s capital. Its history dates back to the Puritans in the 1600s, and Boston subsequently played key roles in the American Revolution and the shaping of the country—and due to its ongoing commercial, educational, and cultural influences, it continues to help forge the United States, and the world.
Boston(POI9) to Logan Intl(KBOS)
Distance: 2.34NM Bearing: 96° 1 minutes
Land at Boston Logan International Airport.
Leg 2
Logan Intl to Nantucket Memorial
Leg Distance: 108.77 Approximate time at 125kts: 52 minutes.
Logan Intl(KBOS) to Long Island(POI10)
Distance: 3.04NM Bearing: 157° 1 minutes
After lifting off from Boston Logan, head southeast, over Boston Harbor, to Long Island.
Long Island(POI10) to Hingham(POI11)
Distance: 5.78NM Bearing: 159° 3 minutes
Continue on course over Boston Harbor, crossing over Peddocks Island and Slate Island to reach the city of Hingham, first settled in 1633 by English colonists.
Hingham(POI11) to Crow Point(POI12)
Distance: 8.16NM Bearing: 123° 4 minutes
Set a course to the southeast, flying over Lily Pond, then sight Scituate Harbor, and visit Crow Point, which lies on the harbor’s southern opening to the sea.
Crow Point(POI12) to Green Harbor Point(POI13)
Distance: 7.91NM Bearing: 168° 4 minutes
Skirt the coastline, staying just offshore, passing by the terminus of the North River and then Ferry Hill to reach Gren Harbor Point.
Green Harbor Point(POI13) to Plymouth Rock(POI14)
Distance: 7.52NM Bearing: 202° 4 minutes
Fly south-southwest, skirting the shoreline of the northern reaches of Cape Cod Bay, then cross a long, narrow spit of land called Gurnet Point. Continue flying into Plymouth Harbor, the opening of which is marked by Plymouth Beach, and fly over Plymouth Rock, site of the landing of the Mayflower Pilgrims.
Plymouth Rock(POI14) to Provincetown(POI15)
Distance: 21.95NM Bearing: 89° 11 minutes
Head east-northeast, crossing over Plymouth Beach and then Cape Cod Bay to reach Provincetown at the northern tip of Cape Cod.
Provincetown(POI15) to East Harbor(POI16)
Distance: 2.44NM Bearing: 92° 1 minutes
Continue on course, flying over the northern limit of Provincetown Harbor to East Harbor.
East Harbor(POI16) to Cape Cod Seashore(POI17)
Distance: 13.44NM Bearing: 159° 6 minutes
Fly along the length of the northern reach of Cape Cod and explore Cape Cod National Seashore, on the Atlantic Coastline.
Cape Cod Seashore(POI17) to Orleans(POI18)
Distance: 5.56NM Bearing: 209° 3 minutes
Continue flying south, to the village of Orleans, which lies on the southern shore of Orleans Cove.
Orleans(POI18) to Monomoy Point(POI19)
Distance: 14.8NM Bearing: 197° 7 minutes
Continue flying on a southward heading, over the lower cape, to its southern end at Monomoy Point.
Monomoy Point(POI19) to Nantucket Island(POI20)
Distance: 13.93NM Bearing: 195° 7 minutes
Cross outer Nantucket Sound to Nantucket Island.
Nantucket Island(POI20) to Nantucket Memorial(KACK)
Distance: 4.24NM Bearing: 229° 2 minutes
Land at Nantucket Memorial Airport.
Leg 3
Nantucket Memorial to Newport State
Leg Distance: 57.84 Approximate time at 125kts: 28 minutes.
Nantucket Memorial(KACK) to Jackson Point(POI21)
Distance: 6.53NM Bearing: 297° 3 minutes
Head westward from KACK to Jackson Point.
Jackson Point(POI21) to Tuckernuck Island(POI22)
Distance: 3.07NM Bearing: 313° 1 minutes
Cross Madaket Harbor to reach Tuckernuck Island.
Tuckernuck Island(POI22) to Martha’s Vineyard(POI23)
Distance: 15.2NM Bearing: 307° 7 minutes
Continue to Martha’s Vineyard, an island renowned for its beach communities and its resorts, getaways for people who work in the bustle of the city centers of the Northeast Megalopolis.
Martha’s Vineyard(POI23) to Pasque Island(POI24)
Distance: 11.61NM Bearing: 299° 6 minutes
Cross Vineyard Sound to visit Pasque Island, which has a population of two, according to a recent census, illustrating that not all parts of this stretch of the United States are densely populated.
Pasque Island(POI24) to Westport Point(POI25)
Distance: 9.67NM Bearing: 305° 5 minutes
Fly over Buzzards Bay to return to mainland Massachusetts at Westport Point, which was the westernmost port in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Westport Point(POI25) to Newport State(KUUU)
Distance: 11.76NM Bearing: 292° 6 minutes
Pass over The Let, Westport Harbor, and then enter Rhode Island and pass over the Sakonnet River to reach Newport State Airport.
Leg 4
Newport State to Montauk
Leg Distance: 62.29 Approximate time at 125kts: 30 minutes.
Newport State(KUUU) to Newport(POI26)
Distance: 2.93NM Bearing: 224° 1 minutes
After launching, set a course to the southwest to Newport, located on Narragansett Bay.
Newport(POI26) to Narragansett(POI27)
Distance: 5.57NM Bearing: 264° 3 minutes
Continue from Newport, over the East Passage and the southern end of Conanicut Island to reach Narragansett.
Narragansett(POI27) to Worden Pond(POI28)
Distance: 6.53NM Bearing: 271° 3 minutes
Gain a visual on Worden Pond after passing over Narragansett.
Worden Pond(POI28) to Westerly(POI29)
Distance: 11.88NM Bearing: 266° 6 minutes
Continue on a west-southwest course, staying just to the north of U.S. Route 1 to reach the town of Westerly, located in the southwestern corner of Rhode Island on the border with Connecticut.
Westerly(POI29) to New London(POI30)
Distance: 11.95NM Bearing: 281° 6 minutes
Follow Interstate 95 to the city of New London, which lies at the mouth of the Thames River and was once one of the most important whaling ports in the world.
New London(POI30) to Montauk Point(POI31)
Distance: 20.47NM Bearing: 163° 10 minutes
Turn onto a south-southeast course, passing over Fishers Island and Block Island Sound to reach Montauk Point, the easternmost point of New York’s Long Island.
Montauk Point(POI31) to Montauk(KMTP)
Distance: 2.96NM Bearing: 290° 1 minutes
Land at Montauk Airport.
Leg 5
Montauk to Long Island Mac Arthur
Leg Distance: 59.61 Approximate time at 125kts: 29 minutes.
Montauk(KMTP) to Gardiners Island(POI32)
Distance: 7.78NM Bearing: 284° 4 minutes
Lift into the air and head west to Gardiners Island, one of the largest privately owned islands in the United States.
Gardiners Island(POI32) to Sag Harbor(POI33)
Distance: 10.37NM Bearing: 256° 5 minutes
Turn onto a southwest heading, flying out over Gardiners Bay, and pass over Hog Creek Point and then Sag Harbor Bay to reach the town of Sag Harbor.
Sag Harbor(POI33) to Shinnecock Hills(POI34)
Distance: 9.97NM Bearing: 243° 5 minutes
Continue on a southwest course, staying inland of the shores of the Peconic Bays to reach the hamlet of Shinnecock Hills.
Shinnecock Hills(POI34) to Westhampton Beach(POI35)
Distance: 9.39NM Bearing: 254° 5 minutes
Continue on course, flying over northern Shinnecock Bay, Tiana Bay, Pine Neck Preserve, Quantuck Creek, and the Aspatuck River to reach the village of Westhampton Beach.
Westhampton Beach(POI35) to Fire Island(POI36)
Distance: 9.22NM Bearing: 257° 4 minutes
Continue over Moriches Bay to visit Fire Island, a long, narrow barrier island that is a popular destination for those who live and work in New York City.
Fire Island(POI36) to Long Island Mac Arthur(KISP)
Distance: 12.88NM Bearing: 297° 6 minutes
Head back over Long Island, flying past Bellport, over the Patchogue River, and land at Long Island MacArthur Airport, just south of Lake Ronkonkoma.
Leg 6
Long Island Mac Arthur to Newark Liberty Intl
Leg Distance: 57.57 Approximate time at 125kts: 28 minutes.
Long Island Mac Arthur(KISP) to West Babylon(POI37)
Distance: 12.5NM Bearing: 261° 6 minutes
After taking off from KISP, fly inland of the south shore of Long Island to West Babylon.
West Babylon(POI37) to Westbury(POI38)
Distance: 11.08NM Bearing: 295° 5 minutes
Turn to the west-northwest, passing by Republic Airport, Bethpage, and Levittown, to reach Westbury.
Westbury(POI38) to Bronx Zoo(POI39)
Distance: 14.04NM Bearing: 307° 7 minutes
Sight Kings Point, to the northwest, and pass over nearby Great Neck and then fly over the western end of Long Island sound, just to the east of the Throgs Neck Bridge, to arrive at the Bronx Zoo, the largest metropolitan zoo in the United States.
Bronx Zoo(POI39) to George Washington Bridge(POI40)
Distance: 3.46NM Bearing: 284° 2 minutes
Continue west, passing over the Harlem River and then northern Manhattan to reach the George Washington Bridge, which spans the Hudson River.
George Washington Bridge(POI40) to Central Park(POI41)
Distance: 4.11NM Bearing: 199° 2 minutes
Head south to Central Park, admiring the vista of skyscrapers towering above Manhattan. These include One Vanderbilt, Bank of America Tower, the Chrysler Building, and of course, the Empire State Building, among many others. Central Park lies at the center of Manhattan’s architecture and bustle, and is the most visited urban park in the United States and one of the most visited places in the world, with over 40 million people each year traveling to see it. Continue flying south-southwest above Manhattan, the core of Greater New York City, which lies in the geographic center of the Northeast Megalopolis. New York, the most populous city in the United States with nearly nine million inhabitants in its five boroughs, is one of the world’s leading centers for business, media, education, the arts, the sciences, finance, and more, and as such, can be considered the heart of the Northeast Megalopolis.
Central Park(POI41) to Statue of Liberty(POI42)
Distance: 6.73NM Bearing: 226° 3 minutes
Fly past One World Trade Center, then out over the Hudson River, and then into New York Harbor to Liberty Island and the Statue of Liberty. The copper statue, which was dedicated on October 28, 1886, stands 305 feet, 1 inch from base to torch. A gift of the people of France, the statue is a rendition of Libertas, a Roman goddess of liberty.
Statue of Liberty(POI42) to Newark Liberty Intl(KEWR)
Distance: 5.65NM Bearing: 284° 3 minutes
From Liberty Island, head west-southwest into New Jersey and land at Newark Liberty International Airport.
Leg 7
Newark Liberty Intl to Philadelphia Intl
Leg Distance: 69.81 Approximate time at 125kts: 34 minutes.
Newark Liberty Intl(KEWR) to Highland Park(POI43)
Distance: 16.4NM Bearing: 237° 8 minutes
In the air again, head to the southwest, passing Staten Island and Perth Amboy to reach Highland Park, on the north bank of the Raritan River.
Highland Park(POI43) to Plainsboro(POI44)
Distance: 12.95NM Bearing: 232° 6 minutes
Continue to the southwest, following the Northeast Corridor electrified railroad line to Plainsboro. Transportation is critical within the Northeast Megalopolis, key elements include highways (notably Interstate 95) rail lines, and of course, air routes for aircraft of all sizes and types, including helicopters.
Plainsboro(POI44) to Van Sciver Lake(POI45)
Distance: 12.44NM Bearing: 233° 6 minutes
Continue following the Northeast Corridor, and pass over the Delaware River and into Pennsylvania to arrive at Van Sciver River.
Van Sciver Lake(POI45) to Philadelphia(POI46)
Distance: 18.48NM Bearing: 245° 9 minutes
Parallel the Delaware River to Philadelphia, the center of the founding of the United States of America. A planned city from its beginnings, Philadelphia is today the largest urban area in Pennsylvania and continues to celebrate the legacy of its role in the beginnings of so many aspects of the country. Philadelphia is the location of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, and it is the birthplace of the United States Marine Corps and the United States Navy.
Philadelphia(POI46) to Philadelphia Intl(KPHL)
Distance: 9.54NM Bearing: 235° 5 minutes
Continue following the Delaware River and land at Philadelphia International Airport.
Leg 8
Philadelphia Intl to Martin State
Leg Distance: 64.2 Approximate time at 125kts: 31 minutes.
Philadelphia Intl(KPHL) to Wilmington(POI47)
Distance: 16.26NM Bearing: 254° 8 minutes
Back in the air, follow the Delaware River into the state of Delaware and to the city of Wilmington.
Wilmington(POI47) to Elkton(POI48)
Distance: 15.36NM Bearing: 249° 7 minutes
From Wilmington, follow the Northeast Corridor into Maryland and to the city of Elkton.
Elkton(POI48) to Havre de Grace(POI49)
Distance: 12.46NM Bearing: 265° 6 minutes
Stay to the south of the Northeast Corridor and cross the Susquehanna River to arrive at Havre de Grace (“Harbor of Grace”) which lies at the head of the Chesapeake Bay.
Havre de Grace(POI49) to Aberdeen(POI50)
Distance: 4.18NM Bearing: 249° 2 minutes
Continue following the Northeast Corridor to the city of Aberdeen, Maryland, which lies on the outskirts of Baltimore.
Aberdeen(POI50) to Martin State(KMTN)
Distance: 15.94NM Bearing: 237° 8 minutes
Using the Northeast Corridor as a guide, fly over the Bush River and then the Gunpowder River, and land at Martin State Airport.
Leg 9
Martin State to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Leg Distance: 46.21 Approximate time at 125kts: 22 minutes.
Martin State(KMTN) to Baltimore(POI51)
Distance: 9.82NM Bearing: 269° 5 minutes
Lift into the sky and head west-southwest to Baltimore, using the city’s Inner Harbor as a key visual reference. Baltimore is the most populous city in Maryland and is notable for its harbor and as a center of education and technology.
Baltimore(POI51) to Columbia(POI52)
Distance: 12.01NM Bearing: 259° 6 minutes
Set a southwest heading from Baltimore, passing over the Patapsco River to the city of Columbia, which lies on the western shore of Lake Kittamaqundi, a key visual reference as it is the largest body of water along this corridor of flight.
Columbia(POI52) to Rocky Gorge Reservoir(POI53)
Distance: 5.38NM Bearing: 207° 3 minutes
From Columbia, follow U.S. Route 29 to Rocky Gorge Reservoir, which lies on the Patuxent River.
Rocky Gorge Reservoir(POI53) to Silver Spring(POI54)
Distance: 10.15NM Bearing: 229° 5 minutes
Continue using U.S. Route 29 as a guide, following it to the city of Silver Spring, a community that lies to the north of Washington, D.C.
Silver Spring(POI54) to Washington D.C.(POI55)
Distance: 5.75NM Bearing: 197° 3 minutes
Follow U.S. Route 29 south to Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States and the southern anchor of the Northeast Megalopolis. A federal district that is not a part of any state nor is a state itself, the District of Columbia is the seat of all three branches of federal governance: executive (president), legislative (congress), and judicial (Supreme Court). Washington, D.C. is also home to numerous monuments, notably the Washington Monument, Abraham Lincoln Memorial, National World War II Memorial, and the Smithsonian Institution, among many others.
Washington D.C.(POI55) to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport(KDCA)
Distance: 3.1NM Bearing: 188° 1 minutes
Fly south over the National Mall, then cross the West Potomac River and land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, bringing this tour of the Northeast Megalopolis to a close.
