Helicopter Lands on the Summit of Mount Everest

The First and Only Person to Land a Helicopter on the summit of Mount Everest was Didier Delsalle a fighter pilot and helicopter test pilot on May 14, 2005.
Climbers did not summit Everest for another week (21 May, 2005)--which is why there are no prayer flags, etc as the jet-stream winds and winter storms scours the summit removing anything from previous years.
___________
On May 14, 2005, at 07:08 NPT in the early morning (01:23 UTC), Delsalle set the world record for highest altitude landing of a helicopter when his Eurocopter AS350 Squirrel touched down on the 8,848 m (29,029 ft) summit of Mount Everest. The flight and the summit landing were recorded by multitude of cameras and other equipment to validate the record. After sitting on top of the world for 3 minutes and 50 seconds, Delsalle lifted off and returned to the Tenzing-Hillary Airport at Lukla, Nepal.
This accomplishment had required extensive testing on site, especially because of the low atmospheric pressure available for the helicopter rotors, winds over 299 km/h (186 mph) at these altitudes, and oxygen depletion for both Delsalle and his helicopter's engine. Delsalle had to find areas of downdrafts and updrafts to complete the flight, stating: "I found an updraft so strong that I could rise up with almost no power."
Delsalle repeated the Everest summit landing the next day, May 15, 2005, to prove that the previous day had not been simple luck. Conditions the second day were much more difficult, but Delsalle chose not to wait any longer so as not to squander the opportunity for 'conventional' climbers waiting to summit Everest during the limited good weather conditions available in May.
Delsalle used a virtually standard version of the Eurocopter AS350 Squirrel B3, only removing unnecessary elements, such as passenger seats, to reduce the standard weight by 120 kg (265 lb) and thus extend the 1-hour fuel range.
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[@ellenbryn]

Wow. That chap is insane. I guess after the incredible helicopter rescue in 1996, in which a brave Tibetan pilot used his own helicopter that was presumably not as good as this one to bring an injured man down from base camp, they had a baseline to work from. Rotors and many helicopter parts were made from composites in the 2000s which had been metal in the 90s, cutting down a lot of weight, plus one person instead of two would've helped, and presumably his team also did a fair amount of computer modeling to figure out what was feasible. I notice he did a steep but controlled dive on liftoff from the peak- scary maneuver in a helicopter! In planes, you do that to avoid stalling, trading altitude for speed which provides more airflow over the wing and thus more lift once you level off. But an airplane wing has more surface area than a helicopter rotor to grab the air, plus there's so much less air to grab onto, I'd be afraid to try it for fear of not being able to come out of the dive. TL;DR: Surprised the helicopter didn't crash from the weight of the pilot's *ahem*

[@TheColinChapman]

actually, Colonel Madan Khali Chetri brought TWO men down from the Khumbu icefall, neither the Imax documentary nor the Hollywood movie depicts the full truth. The pilot hat to leave everything he had at the base camp, luggage, rear seats, even his co-pilot, to make it that high. when he arrived atop of the icefall in order to pick up Beack Weathers with his frostbitten hands, they had brought a SECOND climber with even more severe frostbite injuries to the helicopter - Makalu Gau. The Imax team guys wanted to put TWO climbers into the helicopter, but the Colonel insisted on only ONE. Selflessly poor Beck Weathers gave up his lifeboat seat to Makalu Gau, and when they had massive problems to get airborn again, Beck Weathers was sure that the helicopter would NOT be coming back. Beck thought that the was left to die a second time, but ten minutes later, very much to everyones surprise, the helicopter climbed up the icefall for a second time, now lighter on fuel. the pilot picked Becks up, they made a stopover at the base camp for Makalu Gau, and half an hour later they were at the clinic.

[@barragu7189]

@@TheColinChapman that is correct, though I am uncertain where the pilot picked them up from. Was it camp 4?

[@h47acker]

Colonel Madan Chhetri is not Tibetian he’s Nepalese.

[@orchidorio]

Thanks for the insight! 8321

[@christinealessandrini4280]

@@h47acker I thought he was pakistani !

[@spacewalktraveller1]

Amazing pilot, I was told that a chopper couldn't land on the top of Everest because the air was too thin. There you go, you learn something new everyday.

[@SteveJobIess]

I heard it was because of the size and weight of the pilot's balls.

[@mrhaltstop2294]

The pilot and the chopper are French…that’s why they didn’t make the headlines…

[@bobjamaica9045]

This is a very special chopper … it’s basically impossible for every other kind

[@MrCdrant]

This is wonderful. Now, if someone is at the summit and requires rescue, someone can hover over them for a few moments and let them know in person that there's no one coming to save their ass.

[@pateli2008]

The weight is critical. For all I know this helicopter was reconditioned to reduce weight to the minimal, so it can't operate safely with two persons onboard at such altitude.

[@sparkytoday8455]

🤣🤣🤣

[@theadventuresofoldmort1746]

🤣🤣

[@xpusostomos]

But perhaps.... He could drop some supplies to save your ass.

[@kylerichardson8263]

The people needing rescued are not at the summit. They're either on their way up or way down. Big difference trying to rescue someone on the side of a mountain, especially with all the crazy wind shifts at Mt Everest.

[@rogerhargreaves2272]

I saw this a few years ago. It’s still amazing to watch.

[@dannyspl]

Didier Delsalle (born May 6, 1957, in Aix-en-Provence, France) is a fighter pilot and helicopter test pilot. On May 14, 2005, he became the first (and only) person to land a helicopter, the Eurocopter AS350 Squirrel, on the 8,848 m (29,030 ft) summit of Mount Everest.

[@NickPenlee]

"And what did you do today dear"? "Well I jumped in the chopper and landed on the top of Mount Ev..........Oh forget it".

[@jokers7890]

There are YT documentaries on the development of advanced Airbus helicopters able to fly at very high altitudes. This scenario is primarily based on the engineering and technology of the Airbus helicopters, not the pilot. The pilots ability plays a critical secondary role. The issue with rescuing climbers from high altitude is the cost of these advanced helicopters. They are much, much more expensive than average helicopters used in these regions, and require much more expensive constant maintenance. Basically, it is cost prohibitive to be used on any type of regular basis. This issue of cost is the issue most people miss or ignore. It is not about the ability of the pilot or other secondary factors. Newer helicopters often look identical, but can have very different technology inside that has huge cost differences.

[@girishkumar557]

If helicopters could fly so high...I believe they can definitely help mountaineers with rescue operations at high altitudes.this can save so many lives.

[@chakalaka3960]

Everest: Speedrun Any% WR holder

[@g3user1usa]

Pilot says, "Easy peasy... Why do people even bother to climb this mountain when it only took me twenty minutes to reach the summit?" Good point. Take that, Sir Edmund Hillary. The pilot now can tell stories at parties saying he summited Mt. Everest and didn't even break a sweat.

[@baileydiesel6302]

Experts: You cannot land a helicopter on top of Mount Everest. Pilot: Hold my beer.

[@adambane1719]

This video is 100% F A K E ! 3:37 Funny how the MOST important moment is blurred out, to disguise the peak that it actually landed on.

[@oriepierce7034]

I had no idea this had been accomplished. Thanks.

[@adambane1719]

This video is 100% F A K E ! 3:37 Funny how the MOST important moment is blurred out, to disguise the peak that it actually landed on.

[@markaltamirano4640]

How come there is no footage of pilot getting off the helicopter and walk around at the summit?

[@nothinginnumerous]

Win: helicopter flight Fail: champagne celebration... My dude, the point is not to spill it all

[@robertjacob5dmk3]

damnnn you mean to say i can now get on top of the world without sweating.

[@gwhite7136]

I told you they did it over a decade ago with this copter. Yes, I think more could have been done to bring down bodies and rescue with this copter and a larger version. The technology has been there but why hasn't anyone designed one specifically for high altitude rescue? What they didn't tell you in this video was they told now one about it and Sherpas who were on the mountain at this time had a total freak when this copter came up from the valleys below them and flew right by them. Would have been a sight to see. Thank you for finding this.

[@gwhite7136]

@Craig Carmichael That would be good. We can fly a number of drones to various places. I'm not sure who would fund it but there is good promise there. As long as there is someone there to transfer the climber to a evac slab cage, and hook them in..

[@scottfay3553]

A Legend!

[@jerrychandler657]

The only man to summit Everest without a rope.

[@andy3949]

I would have GTA styled this and jumped out of the chopper as soon as it touched the top..... see ya helicopter!

[@vivynmathew781]

Making impossible possible.Superb attempt.

[@jamescooke7243]

How is this even possible? The air is too thin for choppers to work properly at that height so how do they do this? Perhaps waiting for the right weather conditions?

[@dineshbadopalia8677]

Plenty of “Vanilla Ice Cream” there. Quite tempting. Thanks bro for the input. Will try to make it.😜😋

[@tztz1949]

Did you do a little ridge soaring to help?

[@boostersonenergievitale]

What a good pilot! Wonderful

[@euchrewacko]

So cool to seen an helicopter

[@samsmith2635]

I guess we can rescue folks off the mountain afterall! Glad the tech has improved!

[@Sloth55Chunk]

Any extra weight and he probably wouldn't be able to land or takeoff at that altitude. That helicopter would have been striped of any extra weight

[@mouser485]

Impressive. Service ceiling on the AS350 is around 15,000ft (4600m) so it’d be interesting to see the mods they performed on this particular heli to accomplish this feat. Amazing none the less.

[@henryvanveen5365]

Pilot, "15 000ft...?? I thought it was 15 000m!! Oops!"

[@bavery6957]

@@henryvanveen5365 lol!

[@snavarro7713]

Drapeau français et népalais à la fin de la vidéo, le champagne coule pour la victoire.

[@ChrisMiranda]

Surprising part for me is that he maintained control of the tail rotor. Not only during landing but also during takeoff ! I thought for sure he'd have loss of tail rotor effectiveness (LTE) from the strong winds/high altitude at the summit ! Great job at a great risk. 👍🏼

[@houseofsolomon2440]

How much for a lift there? I would want to get out & enjoy the view lol

[@percivalhowell7516]

Smoke a bowl at summit with windproof lighter 👌🏼

[@sharkpuppetsbrother1948]

This is from a other video you copied a video

[@pepperjackshack2439]

Old footage. This is the second attempt. The first attempt the camera stopped recording so they went up and did it again

[@erniegutierrez2288]

Awesome. Forget climbing Everest.... I'll just take a chopper 🤣

[@whaleshrimp111]

Such an accomplishment for man and machine. Having followed in Hillary and Hamilton's wake of their first jetboating up the rapids on the upper Ganges river in 1977. Note, see the movie Ocean to Sky. In 1993 to 1995 I managed to make the run up then turn around and make the far more dangerous run downstream run all the way to Rishikesh numerous times at low water levels when the ledges and boulders are sticking up waiting for you to make the slightest mistake . Do some living before you get too old.

[@wayfaringstrangerreviewer6458]

Is this quick ascent and descent ever

[@Shailendran-k5m]

CAN U MAKE A VIDEO? WHAT DO U BRING TO MT EVEREST PLS

[@Rizuenho]

Incredible!

[@nakinajay]

I’ve been lucky to fly in and get to fly an Astar B2 and what a bird.

[@ballybunion9]

I've read the summit of Everest is big enough for about eight people to stand on together. Also, every photo I've ever seen, the summit has hundreds of prayer flags. I see no prayer flags in that video.

[@akseli9]

Climbers did not summit Everest for another week (21 May, 2005)--which is why there are no prayer flags, etc as the jet-stream winds and winter storms scours the summit removing anything from previous years.

[@aliensoup2420]

Looks like a perfect day for a summit - where are the climbers?

[@akseli9]

They started climbing one week later that year 2005, on June 21st.

[@turuntashtheboo7681]

Ok,now we are looking something that all those years was imposibile?!And the video is from 2005!A bit strange...

[@marklp682]

am not skeptic but i didn't see any flags or those that are usual left overs from mountaineers on that "summit"?, did the chopper reached the other part of the usual summit?

[@akseli9]

it was 14 may 2005. First mountaineers summitted only on 21 may that year.

[@mybluemars]

@ 3:43 is that a bird? No, its snow rolling down the hill caused by the landing gear touching down.

[@freqeist]

Where Was everyone? usually a queue to summit?

[@richardgooding498]

I've always heard that the air for flying a helicopter above 25,000 feet is not possible. Must be a new atmosphere around Mt. Everest that we haven't heard of yet. Just saying

[@33818ual]

Is it just me? but I missed the part where he lands on the summit????

[@thecaesar1448]

Although the music is more a Kilimanjaro vintage🙌

[@akkseljohansson3601]

That AS350B3 was ripped out of all additional weight. It took several attempts keep him airborne long enough before he could actually land. It actually was the last chance as even the fuel was calculated the bare minimum. Take a MD530F or a K-Max and you can easily land on the top and even take off. It’s all a question of power/weight. Anyhow, the sole purpose of the stunt was for to claim „first landing on Mt Everest“ for Eurocopter/Airbus. And reg base camp flights, these can and have even be performed by B2ˋs. It’s just a question of oxygen for the pilot.

[@handmasterflex1]

But how!? I’ve always understood it’s hard for rotary aircraft to even get to base camp because of the lack of oxygen at 17,000 ft. So how at 29,000ft!?

[@percyfaith11]

I'm wondering the same.

[@dhardy6654]

It's not oxygen. It's thin air.

[@Dea8769]

That would b the only way I would get to the summit

[@maggiesboy]

amazing!

[@builtyankeegirl]

The pilot watched Jack Reacher fight an anaconda as it touched down.

[@zealman79]

480p this must have happened in the 90s

[@JnstBrimstone]

The guy seem to have never gotten out if his chopper at the summit. Does this still count 🤔

[@ncgsc]

Nice GTA music and scenes

[@ярославшийко-м6о]

Amazing

[@HUSKY7-1]

Unless you've set foot on the summit, you've not set foot on the summit

[@dennismcginnis8701]

First thought, I hate it when they show meters cause then I have to stop and google the conversion to feet. Second thought, if a helicopter can just go there, why walk up?

[@doug1olson]

Impressive, I didn’t know helicopters could fly that high. I will assume it’s actually true.

[@ChadDidNothingWrong]

This eurocopter model has a particularly beefy engine I think, specifically for high altitude use. I heard that somewhere...

[@Matrabhumindia]

3:34 who was already there on the top of Everest ?

[@bruceneiman5158]

They stayed on top for only a short time things begin to freeze break at that altitude why risk an already risky mission nice work very nice job.

[@stri2003]

This is the best route to the summit!

[@PetraKann]

It makes sense to me. Air conditioning. Pressurised cabin. Hot tea. Donuts. Your partner in your arms. Parachute….

[@tomklausen9527]

And the safest route down from it.

[@carlgreen998]

I didn't think this was possible

[@debbiedion5731]

I'll take it 🤣🤣🤣

[@keinmyster8549]

@@PetraKann parachute?

[@JohnSmith-sn2su]

Amazing

[@starboard9551]

Why'd it take 16 years for me to hear about this? Pretty awesome, didn't think it could be done so easily.

[@xyzzy4567]

It it’s easy at all.

[@davecarsley8773]

It wasn't easy

[@josesantana770]

The weather have caused most deaths not the peak itself.

[@i_love_rescue_animals]

That's because it can't be done "so easily". That heli was stripped of all extra weight and weather conditions had to be perfect.

[@Greg042869]

@@josesantana770 How would the peak itself kill climbers? Do people trip when they get to the top and fall down the other side?

[@elwoodblues452]

Now they can organize tours for wealthy clients, who want to take selphies and show off! 😂

[@bluegizmo1983]

Kind of insane that his official record will NEVER be broke. There is literally no where else on earth at a higher altitude, so his record of "landing a helicopter at the highest altitude" can never be broken, only tied.

[@bubamaranovichok4901]

Maybe!

[@ben-n-stephflyingcircus8281]

Due to plate tectonics Everest does get taller so the record can be broken. In fact it's taller now than it was when this video was taken. www.npr.org/2020/12/08/944152693/everest-gets-a-growth-spurt-as-china-nepal-revise-official-elevation-upward

[@bluegizmo1983]

@@ben-n-stephflyingcircus8281 Oh wow I didn't realize that. I actually thought it was slowly shrinking.

[@pliubumas]

You could build a 1 meter tall platform on the summit and then it would be taller :D

[@pdvision2194]

@@pliubumas I'll build a 2 meter platform 🤣

[@lhandlott]

what a lot of people don't know is that this can only be possible in the right and perfect weather conditions which is extremely rare up there .

[@KCJbomberFTW]

Ohhhhhhh that makes much more sense I was thinking I’ve seen hundreds of this helicopter before

[@liamwinter4512]

And prop size.

[@shendricks5996]

But it's possible. That's all that matters.

[@miketausig4205]

Exactly. Gotta be the like ZERO humidity, an almost negligible amount of wind, and the temperature has to be darn near perfect. Too cold, and parts/liquids begin to freeze; too warm and the air molecules begin spreading out, which means the rotors/engines can’t work hard enough to create lift for the vehicle. It’s gotta be a crazy game.

[@dbxyzoo]

And thats the only way I'd be going to the summit of Everest...

[@dwmueller76]

IDK, I’m pretty sure taking a heli up like that is super dangerous also! I’m no expert but I think the weather conditions would have to absolutely perfect and the weight of even one passenger would prob render it impossible! It would be great if they could do for rescues near the peak but I don’t think they can (yet)! They are flying a drone on Mars with very little atmosphere but that thing weighs 4 pds.

[@PhilJonesIII]

@@dwmueller76 It's dangerous. I was super lucky to have a girlfriend whose dad would take me around the Mont Blanc in France/Italy by light aeroplane. No way was I going to refuse trips like that. But, the sudden and unexpected side winds can throw you around like a rag doll. You kept well clear of those rocks. Good memories though.

[@stevenbaggley1257]

Ditto, that's the way to summit!

[@Gravityfighter84]

The only person in history to get to the summit, and not actually stand on it. Great achievement though. 👍

[@dsj82]

It would have been one giant steb for mankind!!

[@williamrainville5794]

and not getting winded or breaking a sweat.

[@WW-wf8tu]

@@williamrainville5794 While your statement is tech. true that he did not get winded, keep in mind, he was being fed oxygen. And it is still possible he was breaking a sweat of nervousness lol

[@georgewolfiii1170]

I am positive that in 1989 I read an article which said that some Americans landed a helicopter at the very top of Mount Everest. They took many pictures, and the story was published in Aviation Week magazine, which is where I read it.

[@LumocolorARTnr1319]

You did not confuse it with the 1989 helicopter landing on Mount Ararat?

[@aoilpe]

A big Thank You to the pilots of Air Zermatt / CH 🇨🇭for training ( for free) and opening the Helicopter Rescue Squad of Nepal 🇳🇵

[@IIISentorIII]

Aber da isch doch gern gsche, chunsch eifach mole verbie uf e drink! Salü und bis bald

[@justanobservation3423]

This guy just upped almost everyone to ever summit Everest. He did it in hours, in relative warmth, got the whole thing filmed from multiple angles, and was the FIRST!

[@whatsOnTrending578]

This doesn't count until he step there

[@Mtthyman]

While landing was a feat in itself.. he was never on Everest.

[@justanobservation3423]

@@Mtthyman Yeah and the boots you were wearing prevents you from actually touching the ground with the train of logic

[@Mtthyman]

@@justanobservation3423 spending a month and a half hoofing it up and down a mountain and a year if not year(s) of prep and training to stand on your own two feet at the highest point in the world. Isn’t the same and plopping a chopped up there for 45 seconds then to fly off. While it’s an impressive feat, but still I wouldn’t say he summited it.

[@Minescoful]

@@Mtthyman but technically he did. Did he climb everest? No.

[@percyfaith11]

Pilot stated that he made use of strong updrafts to help him climb with almost no power. He repeated the feat the very next day to prove it was not a fluke.

[@josephbm]

I thought so when he was following the ridges. Gutsy.

[@savage22bolt32]

Next, maybe a hang glider will do it.

[@MikeBova1]

@@savage22bolt32 I remember seeing that one, I think it was that guy bear Grills and a partner

[@olsim1730]

Why do people feel the need to comment with info clearly stated in the description?

[@scott6919]

@@olsim1730 i dont reed the description, i appreciate those people :) broaden your perspective sometimes

[@thehibernatingturtle4016]

This was incredible to watch. Wow. I can't help but imagine being at the top in desperate need of help and a helicopter just floats on in

[@stephaniejoyce1650]

What help..wanna climb? Get yer arse down as well..not worth risking other lives as pilots and at least 1 helper..smh

[@petercraven7930]

Notice the stripped out instruments. I doubt it could lift an additional person off the summit.

[@thehibernatingturtle4016]

@@stephaniejoyce1650 I never said climbers would expect that the pilot helped anyone. I merely said I couldn't imagine needing it and happening to be on the summit the ONE time a helicopter floats in on Mt Everest.

[@thehibernatingturtle4016]

@@petercraven7930 Yes, I did notice this detail. I also read the provided caption where it indicates how all unnecessary weight was removed for this trip.

[@toxicteabaging]

@@stephaniejoyce1650 you're being way too serious in your response.

[@colibri67]

I'm an ex miltary and commercial helicopter pilot, with a career spanning 42 years and over 20K hours, but wild horses couldn't have dragged me into the helicopter seat for a stunt like that! Gonads of titanium would be the least of the requirements. When I was in my early twenties, I climbed an Alouette III to 20,000 feet and found that descending was quite terrifying, partly because of trying to prevent the rotor from overspeeding in the thin air. I wanted to get down quickly due to oxygen starvation, but using collective to control rotor speed reduced the rate of descent. I wonder if the pilot in this video put the helicopter nose down so steeply to overcome that problem. My guess is that his helicopter only hovered at the top of the mountain, to benefit from translational wind lift effect. Landing would have been extremely risky on the unknown surface beneath the snow and getting airborne again would probably have been impossible. Respect!!!

[@liamwinter4512]

Those are some extremely light gonads

[@Ben-sz4ow]

Great insight into how complicated that was since the pilot makes it look very easy in the video if you know nothing about flying a helicopter, thanks

[@aWienerandaBeaner]

I'm waiting for some video gamer to reply telling you how wrong you are............

[@mountjoy23]

Sounded like a pretty big loss of RPM at 4.04 and the pilot's head takes two looks at the gauges, then the shot flips to the outside view of him dumping the nose. That external shot was not at the summit.

[@colibri67]

@@mountjoy23 Not sure with my elderly ears, but that sound might have been the turbine spooling down as he lowered the collective while simultaneously lowering the nose steeply for a rapid descent. Letting the main rotor droop as well isn't something I'd want to risk. I've experienced just how unresponsive cyclic inputs to the main rotor become at great altitudes, say above 10,000 feet. Back in the day when gearboxes were less robust, I was wearing a paracute for high altitude work, like dropping free-falling special forces at night.

[@anthonymcnab9784]

I did not know that this was possible.. Definitely a helicopter ride I would take..

[@terriplays1726]

If there was a military interest in flying so high there would be choppers get up there on a regular basis.

[@roberttaylor6075]

You hit the nail on the head there, if the military had a need to fly so high it would of been done by now.

[@rsimko]

I heard this was possible due to unusual weather conditions on the summit that made possible for rotors to generate lift. Still Amazing.

[@01bigtrev]

This music soundtrack I’m just waiting for it to drop into the airwolf theme music 😂

[@lukycharms9970]

It’s crazy how frozen solid that snow is. I figured the propeller would be throwing snow around all over the place when he touched down the way you see dirt flying everywhere when a helicopter comes down in a field or desert. I didn’t see even a tiny bit of snow flying around haha

[@ATSaale]

That's because it warms up from the sun, melts then refreezes at night.

[@TheJer1963]

Helicopters do not have propellers.

[@MrSimplesimon007]

Imagine if the fuel lines froze or something, summit everest and shelter in an abandoned chopper!!

[@madwax4771]

it would be down at the base of the mountain if the engine failed up there. It didn't actually land on the summit, but touched it. But yeah, imagine climbing all the way up and finding a wrecked helicopter on the summit.

[@dana102083]

@@madwax4771 so many "i shouldnt have survived" shows involve their rescue chopper crashing.. Flashbacks..

[@gwhite7136]

The likelihood of that happening isn't very high unless they attempted this in bad weather. The copter actually flew three thousand feel above the summit after it touched tracks on the summit. When you pump O2 and inject it under the rotors and blades it gets very good lift negating the thin altitude.

[@fred.wright]

@@gwhite7136 very cool. Can you explain more about the system they use to negate the altitude?

[@hardcorehunter9438]

@ Fred no dork

[@robertwalsh5461]

Impressive 29K feet plus about the length of two Hondas. The Eurocopter is an impressive machine still but it looked like he was using every trick in the book: - single crew - fuel likely near calculated minimums for the flight - look like he was trying to pickup thermals - Eurocopter is one of the fastest conventional turbo shaft helps in the world… Just saying, he probably couldn’t have hovered that high all day out of ground effect.

[@hernerweisenberg7052]

Yeah other helicopters have a higher rated service ceiling than this one. For example the Mi-8 is rated at 5000m or so, while this eurocopter sits at 4500m. If they managed to push it up this high i don't see why it others could not if they tried.

[@lbco5229]

Well, I guess it’s official .. there is nowhere we can go to get away from aircraft noise.

[@ciarrai3575]

Not true! There's still the Great Tibetan Plateau.

[@bokiNYC]

😂😂😂

[@bokiNYC]

@@ciarrai3575 Good point, saw a video about that a few months ago.

[@mikemhoon]

Sure beats the hell out of climbing!😂

[@localenterprisebroadcastin5971]

What a suicidal amazing feat….How much people cannot fathom how truly difficult it is to hover anything at that altitude

[@shonseibert48]

Imagine if it stalled out up there, dude had no coat or gear......🤣

[@Mister.Psychology]

Well, no matter where it stalled on the route he would be in huge danger. At least on the top he would survive for a some extra time.

[@justforfux]

Why did he not have warm clothing ? - to save weight ??

[@kevinbautsch]

@@justforfux That would be my guess. Probably went over the whole damn thing to cut every single ounce that could be cut.

[@bahhab9361]

@@kevinbautsch stripped everything down and added modren tech to drop about 250 pounds of the heli. Dude had to do that to get an extra hour of fuel in his tanks. He said he found an insane updraft of like 200 mph winds so he could ascend with using almost no power

[@kevinbautsch]

@@bahhab9361 Hey I want to thank you for that information. What an incredible thing. I didn't know any of those details. Thank you Sir very much. I still can't get over that a helicopter was at the top of Mount Everest!!!!

[@cmcer1995]

Amazing that I never heard about this accomplishment.

[@georgia3596]

Neither did I, all I hear is covid this and covid that , they talk about covid so they don’t have to report the real news happening.

[@adambane1719]

@@georgia3596 This video is 100% F A K E ! 3:37 Funny how the MOST important moment is blurred out, to disguise the peak that it actually landed on.

[@Johnnywhamo]

Unfortunately 12 climbers who had just summited got blow off the mountain by the prop wash. I'm kinding...it was only 8 climbers.

[@zizhdizzabagus456]

Well they dont care about guys who are dying around them so heli guy would not care too. Tha mountain law)))

[@keithjrisk]

So this was in 2005? Where have I been? wtf?

[@misein1]

WOW, amazing. I once flew an H-57 ( Bell 206) over the Sierras. The Helo flew well but there was no way I could have landed if I needed to because there wouldn't have been enough power at those altitudes. The guy flying has balls for sure.

[@comontoshi]

Just to let the help slip off the side of the summit . . . all downhill from there . . . just saying . . . lol.

[@DaveLynchJazzGuitar]

I have to commend that man for his courage and expertise in flying helicopters. That is unreal !! He must have nerves of steel. That is really amazing!! He obviously has a ton of experience as a fighter pilot and test pilot. The air is so thin up there. That's one hell of a helicopter !! Kudos !!

[@worldview730]

Compliment his machine, it did all the work.

[@totalstranger9563]

Impressive, I had an occasion to fly in a very tiny chopper from Base Camp to Lukla Airport. It struggled to get airborne then spent more time flying sideways than anything else. The chopper brutalized by the winds would barely clear the trees on the upcoming ridge lines. The chopper would then be caught by the Everest crosswinds downdraft and sent plummeting sideways towards the shear mountain wall. Focused like a downhill ski racer the pilot would regain control and barely skim the next ridge line only to repeat the sequence. In our decent we plunged into valleys and chicaned between mountains through dense cloud banks so thick I couldn’t tell up from down, totally disoriented I just sat back, relaxed and waited.

[@colinvanwijk5731]

"releaxed". Change of underwear at the end of it...

[@CidavuKK]

for a helicopter pilot it's something like spending the longest time in space as an astronaut... 👏🏻🚁

[@ub1953]

Has to be one of the most under rated and incredible videos on KZbin......

[@andrethompson2034]

Wonder why this didn't seem to make world news, with the air being so thin and this helicopter doing the near impossible I believe is newsworthy. Makes me wonder 🤔

[@adambane1719]

This video is 100% F A K E ! 3:37 Funny how the MOST important moment is blurred out, to disguise the peak that it actually landed on.

[@bangun172]

i always thought helicopters had a height limit lower than that wow

[@nuancolar7304]

Someone could have exited that chopper and been the first ever to descend Mt. Everest without ever having climbed it.

[@johnmalloy101]

Not possible. They would die because they have not acclimated to the altitude.

[@EstorilEm]

@@johnmalloy101 And even if they could carry a 165lb guy (marginal) there’s no way it could carry the gear and o2 bottles unless they were left for him. I guess he could have done two flights.

[@maumor2]

@@johnmalloy101 you could stay at base camp for a few weeks then go back to Lukla and make summit in the chopper with no problem

[@dhoy42]

how do they know it was the highest landing of a helicopter ever?! 😁😆 **jus kidden

[@PetraKann]

Record altitude for a chopper is held by the Aérospatiale SA 315 Lama 12,442m (40,820 ft)

[@HailLuzifer]

no, record is Eurocopter AS 350 with 12.954 m

[@PetraKann]

@@HailLuzifer ok. Thanks for that. Do you know which year that record was broken?

[@HailLuzifer]

@@PetraKann 2002

[@Marc-ky5zu]

Was set in 1972 by French aviator Jean Boulet.

[@gwhite7136]

This copter could possibly go higher. But with its design, you must inject oxygen at a high rate under the blades. It can go much higher than 30K feet.. Why no one uses it for this is beyond me. Once they publicly bring out anti-gravity craft, this could be done in seconds.

[@wyodrifter5539]

The chopper had trouble going that high carrying those giant balls. One hell of pilot

[@andrewnorris5415]

The balls joke seems everywhere now!

[@nimueh4298]

Andrew Norris People are just plagiarizing words or phases from other popular comments that receive a lot of likes.

[@craigbielsky115]

@@nimueh4298 THIS TERMINOLOGY HAS BEEN AROUND BEFORE UTUBE AND FOR AS LONG AS BALLS AND EQUATING ONES MANHOOD TO DIFFICULT TASKS COMPLETED OR ATTEMPTED ...NO ONE CAN TELL ME WHO WAS THE FIRST TO COYNE THE TERMINOLOGY THEREFOR WE ALL OWN IT .....LOL

[@craigbielsky115]

THEY REMOVED THE SEATS TO MAKE ROOM AND INCREASE LOAD CAPACITY.....LOL

[@tima.478]

He's a military/test pilot...this was fun to him!