C172 PLT ENCOUNTERS BIRD STRIKES WHILE COMPLYING WITH JFK CLASS B; OFFSHORE RTE AT 500 FT.

Narrative

DEP FRG VFR APPROX XC00. REQUESTED VFR CLRNC SW TO BL. CLRED THROUGH CLASS D TO SW. INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT KENNEDY APCH. JFK APCH SWITCHED ME TO JFK TWR. CLRED INTO CLASS B OVER BEACH AND INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN AT OR BELOW 500 FT AND REMAIN OVER SHORELINE ON SW COURSE. A GROUP OF BIRDS IMPACTED AIRPLANE; 4 OR 5 BIRDS OR LARGE PIECES OF BIRDS HIT WINDSHIELD AND WINGS. FORWARD VISION OBSTRUCTED BY BIRD REMAINS SMEARED ON WINDSHIELD. ACFT WAS SLIGHTLY DAMAGED. I FEEL THAT 500 AGL RESTRICTION POSED A HAZARD. IN RADAR; ENVIRONMENT; SEPARATION FROM JFK TFC COULD HAVE BEEN MAINTAINED AT A HIGHER; SAFER ALTITUDE. EARLIER AT XCOO; I WAS ALLOWED TO OVERFLY JFK. THIS IS A SAFER APCH TO SEPARATION. I FEEL VFR TRANSITIONS THROUGH THIS AREA SHOULD BE REVIEWED. 500 FT OVER SHORELINE IS A HAZARDOUS AREA FOR MANY REASONS-ADD BIRD STRIKES TO THE LIST. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR DISCUSSED OTHER ALTERNATIVES THAN TO ACCEPT SHORELINE CLRNC BELOW AND OUTSIDE JFK CLASS B. HE HAD CONSIDERED DECLARING AN EMER; BUT DECIDED TO 'WORK WITH IT.' WITHIN A MIN OR SO; THE PLT ADVISED THAT HIS FORWARD FLT VISION IMPROVED AND HE PROCEEDED ON TO HIS DEST.