Can a helicopter land on top of Mount Everest?
Mount Everest is the highest mountain at 8848 mt (29032 ft), and it makes one wonder: can a helicopter fly to the top? Can a helicopter fly to the summit? Yes, under some special circumstances. Didier Delsalle (a French pilot) proved this was possible in 2005; however, with a number of factors at play at these extreme altitudes and thin air, engines also lose power (which is slightly problematic). When flying until landing, winds are also very predictable, which makes it much easier than trying to land in a space with winds that can change rapidly. This is why overall there is not a substantial amount of helicopter flights upside of Mount Everest Base Camp since most tourism is at the Base Camp facility, and also those rescues and supply drops that are done in the region. Ultimately, flying to the summit (and actually landing on the summit) is definitely an extremely special event, and not part and parcel to flying.
FAQs
1. Have any helicopters successfully landed on top of Everest?
Yes, Didier Delsalle successfully flew the Eurocopter AS350 to the summit of Mount Everest, and he is the only helicopter to the summit of Mount Everest in 2005.
2. What is the problem with flying to the summit?
There is very thin air with lower levels of oxygen, and also, engine performance is very poor.
3. What is the highest altitude a helicopter can fly to?
A helicopter typically can reach an approximate peak altitude of about 7000m (under normal conditions). The summit of Everest is 1848 m higher than the base camp altitude.
4. Do helicopters rescue climbers on Everest?
Yes, they rescue climbers from Base Camp, and page, where they have a viable route to fly safely.
5. Do helicopters take climbers to the summit?
No, that is not possible due to weight and also because of the very informed base load of 2005, with Delsalle.
6. What helicopter landed on Everest?
A Eurocopter AS350 B3, which was modified for the occasion.
7. Do helicopters medically assist climbers?
Yes, in most situations, helicopters rescue climbers from camps or from valley floors below the death zone.