Can a helicopter land at Everest base camp? The answer is Yes, Helicopter can land at Everest base camp. Not all helicopters can Land at 5500 Meters. Specific types of helicopters have the power to land and lift at that altitude. The most popular helicopter is AIRBUS AS350 H125. All Nepal operators operating helicopters operate H125 for altitudes higher than 4000 Meters. Besides, there is weight lifting limitation at higher altitudes due to thin air, temperature, and wind. The higher you go the thinner the air and the higher the wind. This directly affects the weight-lifting capacity of helicopter rotors.
At Everest base camp, the suggested weight-lifting capacity is a maximum of 250 KG. So, an H125 helicopter can usually lift 3 persons from the Everest base camp.
The real question is, are helicopters allowed to land at Everest base camp?
No, the helicopters are not allowed to land at Everest base camp. Landing is prohibited at EBC by the Nepal government. Besides, there are no helipads at EBC. During the Everest climbing season April to May, the private Expedition operators make helipads on their own to facilitate their clients. Which, however, is closely monitored by National Park authorities. Only Emergency or Medical flights are allowed to operate. No commercial and leisure flights are permitted.
After the climbing season is over, the helipad is left as it is but due to the moving glacier, the helipad will move and scatter because of no maintenance.
There are many reasons behind “no permission” to land at Everest base camp. The main reason is to protect the environment. Due to Global warming, the glacier where the Everest base camp lies is melting fast. The helicopter’s weight can affect it badly. Accordingly, the sound of a helicopter can move the loose glaciers. These days the question of helicopters flying in the Everest region is a big question. However, the helicopters are allowed to land at Gorakshep, Lobuche, Pheriche, and other villages.
Where does the Everest base camp helicopter tour land?
The Everest base camp helicopter tour is a 4-hour tour that starts and ends at Kathmandu airport. You will find many tour operators and agencies offering the tour online which say Everest base camp helicopter tour with landing. Actually, the helicopter lands at Kalapatthar which is ground near the Everest base camp. Kalapatthar lies at 5644 meters. The altitude itself is higher than Everest base camp and the views are actually much better. From the real Everest base camp, Everest can barely be seen.
Some travelers are very keen to land at the Everest base camp. The Everest base camp is not only the place, where the very famous stone lies. The big stone is very popular because every traveler takes a photo in front of the stone. Actually, the Base camp is the whole area above Gorakhshep. Even the camp climbers is very far from each other. Some camps can take 2 hours to reach from others. So, travelers should understand that Kalapatthar is a part of the Everest base camp area which has just a better view.