what is a helicopters max flight altitude?

Answer 1

the record is 40820 ft using ground effect
this is flying close to the ground and actually getting lift from pushing against the ground

Answer 2

the record is 40822ft set in 1972 by an SA315 Lama in France.

most helicopters with normal payload don,t go over 25000 feet.

On May 14th, 2005 at 7:08 a.m. (Nepal time), an A-Star AS 350B3, piloted by Eurocopter test pilot Didier Delsalle, landed at 8,850 meters (29,035ft) on the top of the Mount Everest in the Kingdom of Nepal. This remarkable flight breaks the World Record for the highest altitude landing and take-off ever, for any flying machine on Earth, and sets an undeniable milestone in the history of aviation. This record was achieved using a production helicopter.

Answer 3

It varies with the helicopter. You would have to look at each one to see the max altitude. See this article on altitude records.
http://www.fourays.org/features_2005/cessna_helo/cessna_helo.htm
http://www.aviationtrivia.homestead.com/SA315.html
Someone noted the SA315 was in ground effect at the time of the record. Not so, as ground effect is the rotor blades length to ground. the pilot would have to find ground that reached up to 40.778 feet to remain in ground effect, and there ain't no ground that high.

Answer 4

You've seen the record, but a general helicopter's max altitude is dependent on the lift force produced by it's rotors compared with it's weight and properties of the air (ex. Is it a hot or cold day? Are you at a high elevation (thinner air) or lower elevation?) Also, along with the lift force is what kind of powerplant...a turbine (dependant also with compression ratio) will compress lighter air at higher altitudes for better performance than a piston.

Answer 5

Depends on the machine