New York by night: British photographer's astounding scenes of the Big Apple... taken from the open door of a helicopter

It is one of the most distinctive skylines on Earth.

But cloaked in a blanket of darkness, New York's numerous landmarks take on an almost ethereal quality.

Captured at night from around 1,000ft above the ground, these spectacular aerial images offer a striking portrait of one of the world's most vibrant cities, showing it as it has rarely been seen before.

Bird's eye view: Captured at night from around 1000ft above the ground, these spectacular aerial images show the city as it has rarely been seen before

And they've been taken by a Briton. Specialist aerial photographer Jason Hawkes spent 15 weeks using state of the art technology to create the dramatic shots for his new book, New York At Night.

From the vantage point of a helicopter, familiar sights including the Statue of Liberty, Times Square and the Empire State Building appear to take on an almost abstract appearance.

The collection of 130 images includes a host of instantly recognisable landmarks alongside some less familiar views of the city.

The stunning collection includes the world-famous Times Square, shot from 1,300ft, showing hundreds of party-goers far below enjoying an open-air music concert.

Another mesmerising image shows a northward view of Madison Avenue in stunning detail - alive and packed with the glare of headlights.

In his book, Hawkes describes the intense chill he felt while taking the pictures.

And he recalls one flight when he took a taxi driver up with him.

He writes: 'Went flying last night in a Twin Star, with both doors off. By the time we landed I could not even feel my hands, never felt cold like it.

'I was chatting to my cab driver ( Eftakhar ) on the way down to the heliport, and asked if he wanted to come along for the ride. He had never been up in a helicopter before so jumped at the chance.

'I had plenty of cold weather gear to wear, as did the pilot, but Eftakhar was only wearing a jumper. Quite how he survived the flight I'm not sure. He said he enjoyed it and even gave me a free ride back to my hotel.'
Hawkes, who has already produced a similar selection of images for his book London At Night, has been taking aerial photographs since graduating from photographic college in 1991.

The 42-year-old, from Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, claims he was bitten by the bug while flying in a small microlight aircraft.

'At college all I wanted to be was a studio photographer,' he said, 'but after a flight in a microlight, I realised that, with a little attitude, you see all these amazing patterns - even mundane things look intriguing.

'So I started using helicopters to take my pictures, I try to do as little planning as I can - I have in mind specific sights, but if there is enough budget left over from a book I'm doing, I'll fly a little further afield.'

Lofty images: Newark Liberty International Airport. The photograph is one of 130 shots which feature in a new collection by specialist aerial photographer Jason Hawkes

In the dark: Images show the New York skyline by night. Cloaked in a blanket of darkness, its numerous landmarks take on an almost ethereal quality

High flyer: The photographer used state of the art technology to create the dramatic shots for his new book

On the front: The cover of Hawkes' book New York At Night. The 43-year-old spent 15 weeks putting his collection together

As far as the eye can see: From the vantage point of a helicopter, familiar sights including the Statue of Liberty, Times Square and the Empire State Building appear to take on an almost abstract quality