In May 2005, an AS350 Astar / Squirrel helicopter landed on the summit of Mount Everest. In the years since then, I’ve heard various rumours and discussions on whether this event actually happened. This videeo proves that it did.
A specially lightened AS350 flown by a Eurocopter pilot did inded land on the summit of Mount Everest. The aircraft was lightened by removing any non-essential fittimgs
The certified service ceiling of the AS350 is 23,000 feet, but we have it on good authority from a pilot working at high altitude regularly that the aircraft is perfectly capable of lifting a useful load beyond that altitude. So while the only witnesses are Eurocopter personnel plus this video, it seems perfectly plausible that a helicopter could actually land regularly on the summit of Everest, weather permitting.
Not quite sure who you will find to pay the landing fee to, though.
