COVER STORY : The Mystery Chopper

Alan Norris

HELICOPTER LIFE had the unique opportunity to interview Didier Delsalle about his achievement in landing the first helicopter on Mount Everest.

On the 14th and 15th May 2005, a standard Eurocopter AS350 B3 Ecurecuil landed on the top of Mount Everest: the first helicopter in history to do so. Piloted by Eurocopter Experimental Test Pilot Didier Delsalle, the two flights included landings on the mountain's peak, both exceeding two minutes as stipulated by the FŽdŽration AŽronautique Internationale (FAI) regulations.

On 14th February 2006, the FAI validated the high-altitude world record achieved with two landings and take-offs on top of Mount Everest at 29035ft altitude. The official certificate was handed over by Jacques Escaffe, the French Chief Delegate of the FAI Rotorcraft section, during the recent Heli-Expo show in Dallas, Texas.

HL - When did you get the idea to attempt Everest ?

DD - It began in 1972, when JeanÊBoulet took the SA315 Lama to more than 39,370ft. After this we were sure that a helicopter could be landed at the top of the world. But we had to wait, although we knew that we had the power. To be really sure we would be safe we needed a very reliable engine designed to operate at very high altitude and a good rotor system. Because to fly in open air at...