Could u take a helicopter to top of Mount Everest?

Question

so i guess what i mean, is there a limit to what altitude a helicopter can operate in. always wondered why people dont just fly up there, ok so u dont get the bragging rights but, at least u get to see the awesome view, and your home in time for tea.(no frostbite). Book me up.

Answer 1

It's been done.
See it for yourself:
http://www.mounteverest.net/story/stories/FrenchEverestMysteryChoppersUtopiasummit-VIDEOJun12005.shtml

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Answer 2

On May 14, 2005, a standard production Eurocopter AS350B3 Astar landed on top of Mt. Everest, elevation 29,028 feet. The pilot's name was Didier Delsalle, and for good measure, he took off, and did it again!

That was the first time this was done, and this record can not be broken as there are no higher mountains than Everest.

Notwithstanding this achievement, every commercial helicopter has a "ceiling" - which is the maximum altitude that it may be legally operated at. Normally a helicopter can be flown at a much higher altitude than it can land or take-off at, but unless you are a test pilot, both need to be within the limitations of the flight manual. Most turbine helicopters have a service ceiling of 16,000-20,000 feet - depending on the model, its gross weight, and atmospheric conditions. So, yes the Astar did operate outside of its certified limitations when it landed on Mt. Everest, but Mr. Delsalle is a factory test pilot, and a darn good one.

The helicopter proved that it was quite capable of making this landing, as he only used about 80% of available power (torque and T4). The biggest challenges on making this landing were the red tape of the Nepalese government, having an oxygen supply to breathe for the pilot, and overcoming the lack of ground reference on the actual landing. A helicopter is flown and landed by visual reference to the ground so that the pilot can get visual cues on height above the ground, descent rate, and ground speed. Of course the pilot has to bring the descent rate and ground speed to zero as the landing is made, and that is difficult to do when there is no ground to see close by at the last moment before landing on the world's highest peak!

In 1972 another Eurocopter (at that time Aerospatiale) test pilot Jean Boulet flew an SA315B Lama to an altitude of over 40,000 feet. That was the longest autorotation ever achieved, as the Turbomeca Artouste III turbine engine failed due to oxygen deprivation. I believe that is still the highest absolute altitude that a helicopter has ever flown at, but in theory that record could be broken.

Answer 3

LAND it hasn't been done yet.....but an ASTAR helicopter has touched a skid on the highest point of everest. IT was kind of a useless flight except to have the recond...cause at that elevation only the pilot and fuel was able to reach there...You basically stall the blades....Angle of attack is too high relative to the airflow. But it can be done on everest....but there is a height limitation on helicopters.

Answer 4

No helicopters can not land on the top of Mt. Everest. The air is to thin to support the operation of the helicopter.
Although they are sometime used to rescue climbers from the mountain, but it is extremely dangerous.

Answer 5

Helicopters can't fly that high, plus landing up there might be a problem.

I'm not sure, but it would take a while to get up there, and I have no idea, but how much fuel they need might be a problem if they could go that high.

Answer 6

Altitude limitations and wind velocities at the summit make it an impossibility at this time!

Answer 7

It is too high for the ceiling of a helicopter.

Answer 8

If that record can not be broken, would they also get the record for the first time anyone has made un unbreakable record?

Answer 9

at a point, the airt gets too thin for the rotors to generate enough lift. so there is a limit and it's different for various heli's.

Answer 10

no helicopters cont operate that high