The helicopter regularly flies to Mount Everest at 8,848 meters. You spend only a short time above 5,000 meters on the sightseeing route, but this is high enough to trigger altitude sickness symptoms in many passengers.
At a glance
Length
26 min
Channel
Autentic Documentary
Video from
Oct 2025
Rating
⭐⭐ Great video · 2/2
Best for
Adventure travelers considering a Himalayan scenic flight and wanting to know what to actually expect.
What this video answers
How high does the helicopter fly on this tour?
What is a "rescue mission" flight and could my flight become one?
Why is passenger weight measured before the flight?
Do I need oxygen on this flight?
What should I do if I feel dizzy or short of breath?
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What It's Like to Fly a Helicopter Tour to Mount Everest
This documentary follows Priya Adhikari, a helicopter pilot based in Kathmandu, Nepal, as she conducts daily flights into the Himalayas—including sightseeing trips to Mount Everest at 8,848 meters. The video captures a typical workday starting before dawn at Tribhuvan Airport, showing how Priya prepares her helicopter, calculates passenger weight and fuel loads for extreme altitudes, and navigates the unpredictable mountain weather that can shift within minutes. You'll see real tourists boarding a sightseeing flight, experiencing the same views and physical sensations—dizziness, shortness of breath—that come with flying above 5,000 meters.
The experience suits adventurous travelers who want to see the world's highest mountains from the air without climbing them, understand the technical demands of high-altitude aviation, and learn about the people who make these flights possible. It's ideal for anyone considering booking a Himalayan scenic flight and wanting to know exactly what to expect before committing.
Key Moments
Highlights of the Mount Everest Flight Experience
Boarding and weight-calculation briefing where Priya arranges passengers by weight across front and back seats to maintain balance at extreme altitude
Takeoff from Kathmandu and the flight north through the Khumbu region along the Tsa River toward the Himalayas
Close aerial views of Mount Everest and ten other 8,000-meter peaks in the world's highest mountain range
A stop at 3,962 meters in Namche Bazaar, home to the world's highest restaurant, where passengers can land and stretch their legs
Real tourist reactions to altitude sickness symptoms—dizziness, wobbly legs—and their candid comments on the stunning views
Return flight with views of Kathmandu and the surrounding valley in late morning
What You Need to Know Before Booking Your Everest Flight
Duration and timing: The flight takes place in early morning and lasts several hours round-trip from Kathmandu; weather windows are often only a few hours a day in the mountains
Altitude exposure: You'll spend only a short time above 5,000 meters, but altitude sickness symptoms (dizziness, shortness of breath) commonly appear even on brief flights
What to wear: Dress in layers; it gets hot inside the helicopter on the ground but extremely cold at altitude—the pilot wears an oxygen tank for safety
Physical demands: No climbing experience needed, but you must be comfortable in a small aircraft and able to breathe with oxygen assistance at high altitude
Weather dependency: Flights are weather-dependent and may be cancelled or rescheduled if conditions turn dangerous; dangerous flying conditions can develop swiftly
Passenger weight: Expect to be weighed for safety calculations; extreme altitudes make weight limits critical to survival
Booking quickly: These sightseeing flights fill up fast, so book as soon as possible to secure your preferred date
Frequently Asked Questions About Everest Helicopter Tours
How high does the helicopter fly on this tour?
The helicopter regularly flies to Mount Everest at 8,848 meters. You spend only a short time above 5,000 meters on the sightseeing route, but this is high enough to trigger altitude sickness symptoms in many passengers.
What is a "rescue mission" flight and could my flight become one?
The video shows that pilots like Priya often interrupt sightseeing schedules to conduct rescue flights, bringing injured climbers to safety. Your booked sightseeing flight operates independently, but the infrastructure exists for emergency missions in this region.
Why is passenger weight measured before the flight?
At extreme altitudes, the helicopter's weight limit is vital to survival. The pilot calculates exactly how much fuel is needed based on passenger weights and arranges seating (front vs. back) to keep the aircraft balanced during flight.
Do I need oxygen on this flight?
The video shows the pilot using an oxygen tank for safety reasons as the air grows thin at high altitude. Passengers experience altitude sickness symptoms, suggesting supplemental oxygen may be available or recommended depending on your operator's protocol.
What should I do if I feel dizzy or short of breath?
The video documents tourists experiencing dizziness and shortness of breath as normal reactions to flying above 5,000 meters. This is expected and temporary; inform your pilot immediately if symptoms feel severe, and descent will relieve them quickly.
This documentary is invaluable if you're considering booking a helicopter tour review to Everest. It strips away the marketing and shows you exactly what happens: the predawn wake-up, the weight calculations, the real physical sensations passengers experience, and the stunning but brief views of the world's highest peaks. You see both the magic (360-degree panoramic views, landing at the world's highest restaurant) and the realities (altitude sickness, unpredictable weather, strict safety procedures).
What I loved most was Priya's candid explanation of why she became a pilot and how she uses boxing to manage the trauma of losing a colleague in a crash—it reminds you that behind every scenic flight is a skilled, resilient person managing genuine risk. This is a best helicopter tour to research before you commit, and I'd recommend watching it.
Years on the front lines of helicopter tour coordination — not as a travel blogger, but as the person responsible for making every guest experience go right. Managed 2,000+ cruise guests weekly as Shore Excursions staff aboard the Pride of America in Hawaii
Personally coordinated with helicopter tour operators to confirm age, weight, and safety requirements.
Flying to the World's Highest Mountains: Everest Pilots
Meet Priya Adhikari, a helicopter heroine in the Himalayas, as she takes on the dangerous heights of Mount Everest, showing courage and resilience against all odds.
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Video transcript for “Flying to the World's Highest Mountains: Everest Pilots” Accessibility
A full written transcript of this video, provided for accessibility. Select any timestamp to jump the video to that moment.
Early morning in Kathmandu, the heart of Nepal. Pilot Priya Adikari is on her way to work. A helicopter pilot schedule is totally different than a fixed wing pilot. You wake up in the morning, if you have a flight or not, you are on standby.
The streets are still empty at 6:00 a.m. Priya Adikari drives to Tribuan Airport. Often, it's only possible to fly for a few hours a day. The weather in the mountains can change very swiftly and create dangerous flying conditions. [Music]
Priya flies to the highest mountain range in the world, the Himalayas, regularly for a small airline. Her flights are often rescue missions to bring injured climbers to safety. But today, tourists have booked a sightseeing flight. When flying at extreme altitudes, paying close attention to the
helicopter's weight limit is vital to survival. Priya calculates the amount of fuel needed according to the weight of her passengers. [Music] 59 + 99 plus 80 plus 82 right. Hey 80.
So I always arrange accordingly the breed among you two. One will go on the front and one will go on the back. Okay? And it will change from calapa to banga. Okay. Don't wear your jackets now. It's going to be hot hot. Okay. Yeah, it's going to be real hot. The pilot hooks herself up
to an oxygen tank for safety reasons as the air high up in the mountains grows thin. The destination on this sightseeing trip, Mount Everest.
I had a chance to fly helicopter as a passenger. Um the moment the helicopter took off, I asked the captain with a big smile, "Hey, can I be a helicopter pilot?" And he said, "Of course you can." That feeling was different. I still get that feeling now. The feeling was different. And to see
270° like you can see around, you can see below, you can see up, you can see everything. When I came back home from that joy ride and told my mom, "Hey mama, uh, can I go for helicopter pilot?" I think more than surprised. She was happy. But she was like, question was just because of one helicopter ride,
no one decides, right? We sold some of my mom's gold. There were doubts, there were lack of money, but everyone came together. All my family members came together and supported me. So without them, I wouldn't have done it. Priya flies north to the Kumbu region along the Tsa River. All the major rivers in the south
of Asia originate from the springs of the Himalayas. The glaciers there secure the water supply of almost 2 billion people. [Music] 14 mountains worldwide rise to over 8,000 m, 10 of them in the Himalayas. At 8,848 m, Mount Everest is considered the
highest peak in the [Music] world. The Nepalese call it Zagar Matar, the forid of heaven. [Music] The mountains are holy for the sherpers living here as they are the seat of the
gods. You're only over 5,000 m for a short time on the Mount Everest flight. Yet, the first signs of altitude sickness still appear. Dizziness and shortness of breath. [Music] But absolutely amazing uh area. Beautiful. Absolutely worth doing this
trip if you uh if you're coming this way. I'm a bit drunk, shaky knees. If they put a bar here, uh three drinks on the floor. A stop at 3,962 m in Sango. a visit at the world's highest restaurant. 2018 and 19, I was flying only inside that valley. Yeah. I enjoyed it so much.
I have stuck there at 12,000 and 14,000 ft inside that valley. There was nothing. Yeah. You got stuck there? Yes. I went there for a rescue, did the rescue, dropped him in the base camp, and they had some paperwork. So, you cannot stay at 17,500 for a long time. So, I said like Alcuda weather was
worse. Yeah. stuck because of the weather. Yeah. So big. Yeah. A lot of Nepalese people go to mountains will never be enough. It will never be. I'm so blessed that I got a chance to u fly as a helicopter pilot and to see this every day. I think this is like heaven. So you cannot get enough
of heaven, right? Yeah. Helicopter, mountain, and me. Perfect. [Music] on the way back to [Music]
Kadmandu. Do you smell? Yeah, me and my sister we do that. Don't you smell Nepal? Like we have a smell. Kathmandu is the place where I was born and bought up and my school is just nearby and my college is nearby. Everything about Katandu is good. Yeah, I love it. Priya heads to her second job.
Together with two fellow pilots, she has opened a restaurant franchise, The Chicken Station. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Priya is regularly on site, talks to her employees, and takes care of the
[Music] bookkeeping. Friends of mine are coming for dinner. Is coming, too. Have you paid the bill? Did you during COVID time when our salary was deducted and we all were going hard time um we were just talking at the helipad. We were doing COVID rescue
though. We were talking at the helipad like um you know we should not be always depend on um the salary and job. We should do something some kind of business maybe. After a week or so, one of my partner gave me a call and said like, "Hey, we're opening a restaurant and this is a perfect place for us
because it's like 5 minutes from the airport and we all are rescue pilot. We are all on standby most of the time. So, we come here, we be on standby and if there's any flight, we just go on flight and come back. So, this is like more than a business kind of like like a home to us and it's really close to our
heart." Yeah. Huh. A colleague comes by starting the career. There was no support from any of the male helicopter pilot. I can see no one supported me truly. But when I they saw me consistently working hard, they saw me that oh this girl is here for good. This girl is here to work hard.
Then they started accepting me. You know, by now she and her colleagues are good friends. They often meet in her restaurant after work.
[Music] [Applause] [Music] Around 2 million people live in Kathmandu today. Progress is slow in its congested streets. The pilot lives in the Baluatar district just a few kilometers from the airport. She bought a house four years ago and
her parents live with her which isn't unusual in Nepal. [Music] The next morning at the boxing center, stay strong till the end.
Priya is on standby and is using her time to train. She's been boxing several times a week for 7 years now. The center is in her own neighborhood. when you fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly
fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly fly every day the same schedule you know instead of going home and rest and sleeping I felt like if I go on boxing that takes that stress takes me it's goes out in boxing you know so um boxing is for physical
fitness to be fit um to be athletic um to be able to have that power and confident on me but at the same time boxing is love I enjoy it so much. I love it. I I love the people around. I love the trainer around. Her coach, Rammes Dasa, is a former Nepalese boxing champion. He challenges her students and helps
Priya test her limits. [Music] Okay. His daughter Ramisa is 20 and has already won some competitions. She wants to go on to compete in international
championships. I think Priya is very courageous, strong and full of character. She never gives up which motivates me a lot too. Boxing helps Priya blow off steam. It also helps her deal with strokes of fate such as a colleagueu's accidental
death. I was in boxing and it was Tuesday. I checked my phone. There were like maybe 35 minutes calls and then I got a call from one of my uh friend who is a pilot PBA. He flies in Summit Airlines. So he called and said like, "Oh, they found Subex. Subex." I was like, "They found Subbec's body." What
do you mean? Oh, you don't know there's a crash and Subbec is dead. I was like, "Done." Oh my god. Done. Um, I started crying immediately. I was I I don't remember how I reached teaching hospital which is nearby and they said like, "Oh, they're bringing the dead body um to teaching hospital." So, I went there. I
rushed. I heard the helicopter landing. Everyone was crying and I was like, "Why?" I mean, I was not getting that, you know I was not getting that oh okay so is dead any dead he's not going to be there anymore and we had uh you know the batchmate thing um did to get the feeling that oh there
will be crash and we will be dead was the feeling I was like oh okay this is something different now this is sub he used to make me dance he used to make me laugh he used to make me smile he used to be like around teaching me everything he was a real support system and I don't think any friend will be like this ever
I couldn't sleep for 3 months you know I couldn't sleep I used to sleep with my mom that time because I used to wake up and used to cry and that was like earthquake time you know people in Kathmandu find strength in prayer medieval Darvar square is both a place of pilgrimage and a UNESCO world
heritage site soy bonat known to locals As monkey temple is a Buddhist site that's visited by many people. It's world famous for its depiction of the allseeing eyes of Buddha. Hindus come here too. For in the former caravan town, Buddhists and Hindus live in peace together. [Applause]
[Music] Priya regularly visits a small Hindu temple in her neighborhood together with her mother. I don't know whether I call myself a religious person or not but I do believe in God. I go temples.
[Music] And if I'm not even going temple for some days, my mom will be like, "Hey, go." Huh? When you coming back from the flight, just stop and go and just uh you know, where is it? We go home.
Okay. The prayer is for Priya's protection. Her mother has five adult daughters, but none with a job as dangerous as Prius. At first, I was afraid when I heard she wanted to be a pilot. She originally wanted to fly planes. Then she chose to fly a
helicopter. As a helicopter pilot, she has to do everything on her own. She has to refuel, transport the sick, the dead. So I was concerned, but now everything's fine. Priya is flying into the Himalayas
again. In clear, beautiful weather. The views are stunning. But the weather can change quickly up here in the mountains. Mountain are danger you know it's really danger you don't know what will happen in mountain the high wind up there the avalanches that we just had in manage you know it's so different I have so
much of respect to all these climbers who goes there and climb or trick you know I cannot do that for sure because I think I'm better off seeing them from far and flying around or landing on that I think I'm better. These magnificent giants attract alinists from around the world. The
climb is dangerous, but you can't get closer to the heavens than here in the Himalayas. [Music] Nepal is blessed full of all the mountains. If you fly from far west to far east, you see all mountains towards the north. White old tall mountains. And
when people talk about mountains in other countries, I'm like, "Huh, come Nepal. [Music] during Dasai we're starting so many traffic because people are rushing toward to go home shopping and
everything. Dasai is Nepal's most important Hindu festival. A kind of thanksgiving with prayers and offerings to the universal goddess Dura that traditionally lasts for several days. It's a time for family. Dasi is different. Dasi is like family and relatives and eating and going temples and shopping, wearing new
clothes and everything. Yeah. Exciting. Yeah. Whenever I have time like walking the street or going to the market, if I have some time, I'll just make sure that to call everyone.
[Applause] Priya is looking for a dress for Dasai. So in Dasai um for the main day you wear new clothes. So usually your parents buy you a new dress or maybe you buy a new dress for your parents. You know that's how it is.
I wish my mom was [Music] here. But I'm choosy. Shopping and fashion, things the helicopter pilot rarely has time for.
Yet she has a good feel for cuts and [Applause] colors. Once 14 years ago, Priya decided to take part in a beauty [Music] contest. Mal was back in 2008. That was
when I had um insecurities about the body. I was little chubby. But after going in Miss Nepal to go out and meet people was part of the training. Everything that I have they able to talk and be um disciplined or to be uh up front. It's all because of part of Miss Nepal. So Miss Nepal got
cancelled and the next year my mama said like oh go again. I was like no I'm not going again. [Music] The next day, Priya has a rescue mission. The small airlines helicopter has to be converted. Unlike in the west, there are
no fully medically equipped rescue helicopters here. Despite the clouds, the pilot decides to take off. [Music] Like there are so many people who ask me like oh aren't you scared of this weather I'm like no if I have this kind of weather then I divert or I land done if I get any kind of emergency I am
trained enough to go and land somewhere right safely landing so no I'm not scared meanwhile at the Adikari family home Priya's cousin niece and sister Puja have come for the festival [Music] Priya, she's flying and she got another
flight. She's in her rescue flight, so it will be a little late. Um, so we are all waiting for her. Yes. And she's our hero. So we'll wait for her food. Today we are all making vegetable mobile. Um, we gathered for the festival. So we have this huge dasai festival coming up. We are in the middle
of it. So these nine days before the dasai is the day of nine goddesses and those goddesses represent um motherhood, courage, um all this uh winning you know the power of the women [Music] at Dai a goat is usually sacrificed in
the temple in honor of the goddess Dorga and its meat is then cooked at home. But Priya and her sister Puja are vegetarians. So the women prepare momos, a Nepalese and Tibetan national dish consisting of dumplings filled with vegetables, Indian cream cheese, and ginger. The momo dumplings are steamed
for around 15 minutes. Meanwhile, Priya is transporting a sick patient from the village of Benigat to the Medi City Hospital in Kadmandeu. The patient needs an operation. There's a paramedic on board. The clinic doctors are awaiting
them. Make it back to Kathmandu. The weather was bad, but I made it somehow. When it comes to rescue, you push a little bit of your limit, you know. Back home, the family is waiting for Priya.
It takes a while for the pilot to finally get off work and join the family's dai celebration. [Music] After hours of waiting, the meal has begun. [Music]
[Music] Are you hungry? I'm very hungry. I've been working since this morning. One flight after the next. [Music] They are totally understandable about everything and they know me. They know me from last 16 years I've been doing
the same thing again and again. So don't they know me and they will wait for me. Um so I don't actually feel bad because they don't make me feel bad at all. That's why I'm blessed. I'm blessed. A game of cards later in the evening is
part of the Dai festival [Music] tradition. No one no one told me that it's going to be hard. No one warned me that oh you have to refuel yourself or you have to sleep in a helicopter with the dead. But no one told me. I used to say like oh I'm the only one. Yeah, I did. I'm the first captain. But now I
don't say it anymore. I say, "Yeah, I'm one of the helicopter pilot of Nepal." That's what it is. Yeah. [Music]
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