Top of the World: photos from Nepal
Join Date: Dec 2003
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VF
How Is the weather this winter?
Is it a typical winter season?
Maybe you are just picking the days to take a photo, but I always imagine winter there as snow, snow, snow.
I appreciate all the photograph's you post - a really impressive effort.
John
How Is the weather this winter?
Is it a typical winter season?
Maybe you are just picking the days to take a photo, but I always imagine winter there as snow, snow, snow.
I appreciate all the photograph's you post - a really impressive effort.
John
Join Date: Dec 2006
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VF - Thanks for posting these latest pics - fascinating as always.
One question though - do you have any av med issues such as decompression bends, altitude sickness, O2 ear etc.? Or is it just a question of getting yourself fully acclimatised by being "in theatre" for the job?
I presume that no amount of acclimatisation would dispense with the need for supplemental O2 at 23,000 ft - if so do you use a canula or a mask? My (RAF) training was O2 at 10,000 ft (air mix), above 25,000 ft needed 100% O2 and above 40,000 ft needed pressure breathing.
Safe flying as always.
MB
One question though - do you have any av med issues such as decompression bends, altitude sickness, O2 ear etc.? Or is it just a question of getting yourself fully acclimatised by being "in theatre" for the job?
I presume that no amount of acclimatisation would dispense with the need for supplemental O2 at 23,000 ft - if so do you use a canula or a mask? My (RAF) training was O2 at 10,000 ft (air mix), above 25,000 ft needed 100% O2 and above 40,000 ft needed pressure breathing.
Safe flying as always.
MB
Thread Starter
Top of the World - yikes we are high
Namaste Madbob
I think decompression sickness (the bends) comes from extended deep diving using compressed air.
CAAN regs require supplemental O2 above 10,000'
Acclimatisation does play a huge mega role. It is better to not use O2 whenever possible as it spoils acclimatisation. For landing below 19,000' & crossing passes I no longer use. However landing in the 'dead zone' the cannula O2 is always on above 20,000' for landings, prelonged ultra high altitude mapping, filming etc ('dead zone' - Mountaineers term for when above 20,000'+ as the body starts to seriously starve for O2 & vital body functions begin to shut down, on most people, but not all!) 
Land Happy always
VF
I think decompression sickness (the bends) comes from extended deep diving using compressed air.
CAAN regs require supplemental O2 above 10,000'
Acclimatisation does play a huge mega role. It is better to not use O2 whenever possible as it spoils acclimatisation. For landing below 19,000' & crossing passes I no longer use. However landing in the 'dead zone' the cannula O2 is always on above 20,000' for landings, prelonged ultra high altitude mapping, filming etc ('dead zone' - Mountaineers term for when above 20,000'+ as the body starts to seriously starve for O2 & vital body functions begin to shut down, on most people, but not all!) Land Happy always
VF
Join Date: Feb 2008
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You post a lot of wicked pictures and I love every single one of them, but this one had me with my mouth wide open and a stare of outright disbelief by the time I got to the second pic! This is just 
- WOW!
How is the machine holding up at that altitude and what GW are we looking at?
- WOW!How is the machine holding up at that altitude and what GW are we looking at?
Thread Starter
Top of the World - AS350B3+ King of the Mountains
Mate the B3+ has landed on Sagarmatha 29,211' (albeit highly, highly modified, stripped of many components which are seriously illegal to fly without) 
(that's cheating) boooo 
I have pushed her to 28,000'amsl hopefully soon to map Sagarmatha (Everest) to overfly her at 29,500'
hopefully the God's will be shining on Us that day OmOmOm She was minus second battery, all non essentials, seats etc. out, airframe filter out & minimal fuel, landing with 50litres on gauge WoW what a rush 
Land Happy always
VF
(that's cheating) boooo I have pushed her to 28,000'amsl hopefully soon to map Sagarmatha (Everest) to overfly her at 29,500'
hopefully the God's will be shining on Us that day OmOmOm She was minus second battery, all non essentials, seats etc. out, airframe filter out & minimal fuel, landing with 50litres on gauge WoW what a rush Land Happy always
VF
Last edited by Vertical Freedom; 2nd Feb 2013 at 15:55.
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@VF:
Amazing, always stunning.
Be safe and please keep the pictures coming!
You open a window into altitudes and environments that hardly an other helicopter pilot will ever get a glimpse of.
Thomas
Amazing, always stunning.
Be safe and please keep the pictures coming!
You open a window into altitudes and environments that hardly an other helicopter pilot will ever get a glimpse of.
Thomas
Join Date: May 2005
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For landing below 19,000' & crossing passes I no longer use. However landing in the 'dead zone' the cannula O2 is always on above 20,000' for landings, prelonged ultra high altitude mapping, filming etc ('dead zone' - Mountaineers term for when above 20,000'+ as the body starts to seriously starve for O2 & vital body functions begin to shut down, on most people, but not all!)
I remember when registering my plans at the Kathmandu embassy that no helipcopter rescue was available above around 15,000ft. Below that height, the helicopter would head out but only if USD1000 was paid in advance. The embassy said they would stump up the cash, but my passport would be marked so only valid for a trip home, and I wouldn't get it back until I paid the cash back.
It was possible to live in Kathmandu for USD1 a day, so USD 1000 was a huge sum to a backpacking bum like me.
Though to be honest, if I did fall ill enough at 15000 ft to require a medevac, the chances of a message getting back to Kathmandu before I died was neglibigle. In fact I met a fellow bum on the trail who had just been bitten by a dog, rabid we didn't know. So his escape route was a self imposed five day forced march back to a road where he could get a bus to the Canadian Clinic in KTM for his shots.
Brilliant pictures from a stunning country
Thread Starter
Top of the World - coffee
Goodmorning World
I have been informed by Engineers here at the time that when Eurocopter landed on Sagarmatha the B3 was stripped of the anti-vibration head, the underfloor shaker weights & a few other weight reduction tweeks to reduce empty weight Could she land with HOGE up there at normal weight..............................hmmmm don't believe so 
Land Happy always
VF
I have been informed by Engineers here at the time that when Eurocopter landed on Sagarmatha the B3 was stripped of the anti-vibration head, the underfloor shaker weights & a few other weight reduction tweeks to reduce empty weight
Could she land with HOGE up there at normal weight..............................hmmmm don't believe so Land Happy always
VF
Thread Starter
Top of the World - Sagarmatha landing video
AS350 landing on Sagaramatha (Everest) details -
In the video note the following items;
donkey dicks removed from skids, flight steps removed, anti-vibration hat removed from mast. & many more goodies removed, little tweaks & permitted to pull way
way beyond normal operating parameters for the engine.
there appeared to be HOGE+ power available at all times whilst on the summit 29,211' - amazing??? 
Great job done by Didier
with a little help from an ultra light machine & tons of extra power to boot 
I'd sure as shid be scared pulling that off 
Cheers to happy days
VF
In the video note the following items;
donkey dicks removed from skids, flight steps removed, anti-vibration hat removed from mast. & many more goodies removed, little tweaks & permitted to pull way
way beyond normal operating parameters for the engine. there appeared to be HOGE+ power available at all times whilst on the summit 29,211' - amazing??? Great job done by Didier
with a little help from an ultra light machine & tons of extra power to boot I'd sure as shid be scared pulling that off Cheers to happy days
VF
Last edited by Vertical Freedom; 5th Feb 2013 at 08:19.