How high can you go?
 

What’s the highest fellow pruners have flown in a helicopter.

I once flew a 206 to 11,500 and an R22 to 6,000 feet.

Have to say I didn’t like it waaay up there :uhoh:

20,000' in a MD 500ER in PNG

Flew over some 10,000 ft mountains when I was in the US, landed at Big Bear at 6000+ ft. It didn't feel "way up there", since we were quite close to the ground, but I learned lots about density altitude, being hot and high in underpowered helicopters, etc. Lots of fun too. :ok:

Used to throw the beer into burlap sacks, wet them down with water.....stow them in a breezy place......then up to 12,000 feet agl in a Bell 206 and Alouette III. Was in my twenties then.....would drink hot beer now! Don't know if I am wiser or just more openminded about adversity.

10,000Ft ASL in hover OGE for 2 1/2 hours in Gazelle during OPs in UK.

I've taken both a Bell JetRanger (TH-57) and a Boeing SeaKnight (aka, the Phrog CH-46E) up to 10,000 - maybe a little more :) - but Navy/Marine Corps limits are 10,000 ft without supplemental oxygen. I think the Army guys are allowed to 12,000 or 14,000 ft. Curious that the different branches of the services have different altitude restrictions.

OH-58C at 10,000 with the doors off over Ft. Bliss, Texas. This was about 1 month after flight school and only there for a moment just to check it out, then a very long auto, with a slow, high power recovery.

When I was in Nicosia with my father, during the mid-50s, I seem to remember an RAF Wessex Whirlwind trying for an altitude record over Nicosia airport. Can't remember the altitude, although 20k feet seems to nag me, or even whether it was successful.

Can anyone help?

FL100 in a 22. Wouldn't want to do it again though!

In forward flight, regularly to 17000 feet in tests, in Comanche, S-76, H-60. Once to 21000! Air is skinny up there.

Landings and H-V work at 11,000 feet, engine cuts and autorotations.

Nick....only the air is skinny up there.....sorry!

Earlier this year in the UK a Jet Ranger went to 20,000 ft over Oxfordshire. But, in the words of the song, "wasn't me".

17500' in a Puma for a para-drop... Scary, even in a big machine.....

Ignorance is bliss.
 

Many years ago the Raytheon Company in Santa Barbara, California proposed a satellite that did not require the use of a booster rocket to raise it to orbit.

The satellite employed helicopter rotors that were turned by an electric motor. The motor in turn was powered by radio waves.

It was envisioned that the helicopter portion of the assembly would raise the satellite to orbital altitude (Approximately 22,000 miles) and then a small solid rocket would bring it into a circular orbit.

That's why an electronic engineer should never work as an aerodynamics engineer.


:E

Was it Pierre Boulez who took a Llama up to FL460 in the early 70s? The story I saw said it had been stripped down to save weight. The canopy entirely frosted over in cold. When he eventually lowered the collective the engine (never tested at that height) flamed out, and with no relight system he started the world's highest ever autorotation. Of course he couldn't see anything, and tried to keep straight by reference to the sun. He knew it hadn't worked when the sun was level with the cockpit floor, but he pulled out of it, the frost went at lower altitude and he landed successfully. Unless anyone else knows any better, and it wouldn't surprise me.

Most posters have mentioned how scary it is. OK, neophyte's question time, apart from heli pilots' natural tendency to worry when above jumping-down distance, what is it that worries you? Controls near their stops? Unexpected divergences?

Nic,
You were discussing the pros and cons of the compound helicopter in a separate thread. Does the compound have any ability to go higher and does the wing interfere with an autorotation? Finally, do you think the Marine Corps is going in the right direction with the MV-22?

Twice went to 18500 in a Wessex Mk 5, first time over Cornwall at night, the second at Labuan, Borneo. In Papua New Guinea we used to land a Hiller 1100 on mountain tops for P & T, I think Mount Wilhelm was around 14000, which is the highest in PNG.
Never used oxygen; don't have to when you are young, do you???:O

Several times up to FL 180 to test and to use special surveillance and observation equipment inside and outside (hooked pod) the helicopter. During the flights the ship was sometimes heavy overloaded and needed more than 45 min to climb up to the end level (take off in 1000 ft). Climbing only at Vy and level flight 20 percent around Vy. Never used oxygen, but we (the pilots) were all pressure chamber tested. But as a helicopter driver you feels so alone at such an altitude and good ol earth is so far away...

Remember me on the up to 10 minutes autorotations with the very cold cabine due to the idling engines.

Took a Gazelle to FL190 on oxygen (absolute celiing). Vmax of 55 KIAS and Vmin of 45 KIAS. Significant vibration increases and very sloppy control response. Feels a long way up!!

once took a little R22 up to 7500 north of Blackpool little thing struggled to get there, felt really spookie at that height, nil wind so tried a long gentle auto down it seemed to take for ever, never been there since!:oh: