Highest Service Ceiling Helicopter

SierraPilot123 said:
Not sure about true service ceiling, but a Ecureuil/AStar AS350 B3 flew to the top of Mt. Everest at 29,000 ft (May 12th) and even reached 29,500 ft. breaking records April 04'.


Video here: http://www.greatoutdoors.com/published/general/video/helicopterlandsoneverest/videoframe.html

http://www.inst-aero-spatial.org/IMG/jpg/everest.jpg
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That's funny because the reason why I came up with the question was because I was watching a National Geographic Channel documentary on climbing Mount Everest - I wondered how they could get rescued if they needed to.
 
A helicopter recue anywhere near Mt. Everest would be quite a mission. Especially in anything but ideal weather, calm winds and good visibility. Most often, the times when people need to be rescued off Everest are when the weather is at it's worse. I wouldn't plan on getting rescued by a helicopter when climbing Everest. You have a much better chance being carried down/dragged by a trusty Sherpa.
 
/hijack

There's really not a lot of rescue work that can be done on Everest at all when the wx takes a turn for the worst. For a pretty interesting, informative (I thought) firsthand look at how wrong things can go check out Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer.

/release thread

How awesome would it be to fly the Warren Miller cast around? Get to fly all over amazing terrain, laugh firsthand at the bloopers...
 
JaceTheAce said:
That's funny because the reason why I came up with the question was because I was watching a National Geographic Channel documentary on climbing Mount Everest - I wondered how they could get rescued if they needed to.
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In 1996 (I think) there was a bad storm that killed 6 and threatend several more including one guy who suffered extreame frostbite. It was cronicled in the book "Into Thin Air", excelent read!

One guy had been left for dead in -50F, in a blizzard yet amazingly woke up and walked on his own to shelter. He had to be lifted from a site about halfway from base camp 16,00ft (I think) and the summit.

At the time it took the record for the highest helicopter rescue ever, I doubt it has been broken.

I wouldn't plan on getting rescued by a helicopter when climbing Everest. You have a much better chance being carried down/dragged by a trusty Sherpa..
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Actually, you should plan on saving yourself or possibly being left for dead. My understanding is that the trail up the summit is littered with dead bodies. At that altitude the rescuers are slowly dieing and can barely save themselves much less you.

In the book about Everest the author focused on the fact that this wasn't like a nature hike, fatal accidents are common and can't be prevented even with the most careful planning. Conventional morality can't be applied at +20,000ft.
 
Nepal does as much rescue as they can. They use a eurocopter Puma. The in ground effect hover ceiling is about 9300' while out of ground effect hover is about 9800'. Most of the pick ups are done at bease camp. But this is in perfect conditions, with anything higher being s.o.l.
The AStar that summited was at Heli-Expo in Dallas this week a guy I fly with went and e-mailed me some pics. It was just basic frame and seats. No noise insulation or anything like that.
 
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