9. Landing Atop Mt. Everest

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Didier Delsalle made history by landing his Eurocopter AS350 Squirrel helicopter on Mount Everest on May 14, 2005, and repeated the landing the next day.
  • The feat was extremely treacherous and risky, highlighting the dangers of high-altitude helicopter operations.
  • Delsalle identified the most challenging part of the landing as the uncertainty of how much snow he would have to settle through before the helicopter rested 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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