Brains
Nearly two decades later, the feat remains one-of-a-kind: a helicopter landing on the summit of Mount Everest. In May 2005, French test pilot Didier Delsalle touched down at the highest point on Earth, a moment still regarded as one of the most daring and technically challenging aviation accomplishments ever recorded.
Flying an AS350 B3 helicopter designed by Eurocopter (now Airbus Helicopters), Delsalle reached the 29,029-foot (8,848-meter) summit on May 14, 2005, remaining briefly on the peak before taking off again, according to Sciencing. The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, which governs aviation records, requires that helicopters remain on the ground for at least two minutes to qualify as a true landing. Delsalle remained nearly twice that, clocking three minutes and 50 seconds on the summit. He had made his point.
The flight pushed the aircraft far beyond its certified operational ceiling of about 23,000 feet (7,000 meters), and was intended, according to Delsalle, to demonstrate the helicopter’s capabilities under extreme conditions. Though the onboard recording system malfunctioned during the first landing, Delsalle completed a second successful attempt the next day under similar conditions to confirm the record. As if once wasn’t enough.
A high-risk environment for a helicopter
Landing on Everest is not just rare—it’s nearly impossible. The challenges of helicopter operations at that altitude are extreme. Thin air, low oxygen, and sub-freezing temperatures sharply reduce both engine output and rotor efficiency. Even under full power, helicopters can struggle to hover or maneuver in the mountain’s swirling air currents.
Delsalle later described complex wind patterns near the summit, including updrafts strong enough to lift the aircraft even when throttle power was reduced, and downdrafts so intense they pulled the helicopter backward despite forward airspeed. The flight was preceded by several reconnaissance runs to study wind behavior and evaluate safe approach angles. Delsalle told Vertical Magazine that the landing window opened only after poor weather forced all climbers off the mountain, briefly clearing the airspace. He described the moment as one in which “you have to let the mountain accept you.”
Though rescue flights regularly operate near Everest’s lower camps, no other helicopter has landed on the summit since. The daring Frenchman’s 2005 mission still remains the only confirmed helicopter touchdown at the top of the world.
