9. Landing Atop Mt. Everest

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Didier Delsalle achieved the first helicopter landing on Mount Everest with his Eurocopter AS350 Squirrel on May 14, 2005, repeating the feat the following day.
  • The landing was extremely treacherous and risky, with the primary challenge being the unknown depth of snow on the summit.
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Didier Delsalle landed his Eurocopter AS350 Squirrel atop the world’s highest piece of real estate on May 14, 2005. He repeated the feat the next day to show it was no fluke. No fluke, but it was treacherous and super risky. The hardest part, he said, was landing on the snow, not knowing how much snow he would have to settle through before his helicopter settled its weight on the world’s most famous summit.

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