9. Landing Atop Mt. Everest

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Didier Delsalle made a historic and highly risky helicopter landing on the summit of Mount Everest on May 14, 2005.
  • He repeated the feat the following day, piloting a Eurocopter AS350 Squirrel.
  • The most challenging aspect of the landing was the uncertainty regarding the depth and stability of the snow.
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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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