Posted
5/31/2005 05:27:00 PM
by Douglas
If you've got a helicopter that can land on the top of
Mt. Everest or
Mt. Qomolangma as the Chinese call it, I don't think you need to need to worry about any more altitude records.
Eurocopter, the European helicopter maker, has said it had landed a helicopter on the top of Mount Everest in a world first.
The Ecureuil/AStar AS350B3 helicopter landed May 14 at 8,850 meters atop the Himalayan peak, setting a new world record for high-altitude landings and takeoffs, Eurocopter said in a statement on its Website on Tuesday.
The aircraft, flown by test pilot Didier Delsalle, took off from a Nepalese base camp of Lukla, and remained atop the peak for more than two minutes, Eurocopter said.
What a remarkable feat for such an unremarkable looking
aircraft