H145 Reaches New Heights

An Airbus H145 has set down on the summit of Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Southern Hemisphere at 22,840ft (6,962m). The helicopter, D-HADW, is the latest version of the H145, featuring a bearingless five-bladed main rotor system. It was unveiled at Heli- Expo 2019 in Atlanta in March. Flown by experimental test pilot Alexander Neuhaus and Antoine van Gent, experimental flight test engineer, the helicopter started the flight at Mendoza, Argentina before flying 30 minutes to the foot of the mountain and beginning its ascent. After 15 minutes it reached the summit and touched down in -22°C temperature. The landing is a record for a twin-engined helicopter. A single-engined H125 landed atop Mt Everest in 2005.