Uber takes to the skies: Helicopter rides from Manhattan to the Hamptons

Car-hire app startup Uber is expanding service to the well-heeled Hamptons this week ahead of the Independence Day holiday, a little more than two months after New York gave it the green light as the first taxi-hailing app to operate in city.

And to celebrate, Uber would be pleased to offer a $3,000 helicopter lift to the tony stretch of Long Island.

Starting Wednesday and running through Labor Day weekend, New Yorkers can summon a private driver to the Hamptons using the startup’s iPhone or Android apps, or its mobile site.