Airbus Helicopters announced an altitude milestone for its new H145D3 and a prominent superyacht customer for the aircraft this week. 

During high-altitude testing in Argentina, it touched skids on Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Southern Hemisphere, at 22,840 feet, the first time a twin-engine helicopter landed at this altitude. The aircraft departed Mendoza, Argentina, flew 30 minutes to the foot of the Aconcagua, and climbed for 15 minutes to the summit of the mountain where the temperature was –7.6 degrees F. The crew—test pilot Alexander Neuhaus and flight-test engineer Antoine van Gent—encountered gusts to 30 knots in low air density during the ascension.

Neuhaus said the helicopter still had power reserves in the summit that would have permitted two passengers on the flight, which was supported by the Fuerza Aerea Argentina, who provided aerial support; Patrulla de Rescate de Alta Montaña de Policia de Mendoza, who assisted with a contingency plan; Parque Provincial Aconcagua; and private operator Helicopters AR. The Argentine flight joins other Airbus Helicopters altitude records. In 2005, test pilot Didier Delsalle landed a single-engine H125 on Mount Everest. 

At the Monaco Yacht Show this week, Airbus announced that it had sold an Airbus Corporate Helicopters (ACH) variant of the H145D3 to a foundation controlled by Norwegian philanthropist Kjell Inge Røkke’s not-for-profit oceanic research foundation, REV Ocean. The helicopter will be used aboard the foundation’s new 600-foot REV Ocean research and expedition vessel, the world’s largest superyacht. The REV Ocean vessel is equipped with two helidecks, scientific trawls, sonar systems, laboratories, auditorium and classrooms, moonpool, an unmanned aerial vehicle, and a remotely operated deep-diving submarine. It has a crew of up to 35 and can carry 60 scientists.

Launched in 2019, the Airbus ACH145/H145D3 has a new, five-blade, bearingless and hingeless main rotor system and Fadec. To date, two flying H145D3 prototypes have accumulated 400 flight test hours and the aircraft remains on track for 2020 EASA certification.