Flying around Mount Everest with Dornier DO-228

by Farhad Mashregh-Zamini

We are pilots and pilots always live in the sky! What has to do with altitude is a favorite thing for us. Of course, flying around the highest place in the world is for all pilots, special the pilots who like adventure, a challenge.

To fly around Mount Everest, we start our flight in Lukla Airport (VNLK).

For this, we need a plane that we can fly over 25000 feet. Dornier DO 228 is a good choice. The Service Ceiling of DO228 is 25000 feet, so we can fly with it close to the height of Mount Everest and see that from close up.

We start our two-engine aircraft in Lukla. We are right now, over 9000 feet above MSL. Our runway is very short (1729 ft) so we have to follow the Shortfield Take Off procedure.

We start with Before Take Off check:

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Boost Pumps —— Checked

Flaps —— Check for Take Off

Trims —— Check for Take Off

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After take off, we turn right and we slowly climb to 13000 feet. After a few minutes, we will see „Namche Bazar“ village on our left. Above this village is the Syangboche Airport (VNSB). We land there and we take other passengers.

After the second take off, we turn left and we fly over „Dawa choling Gompa“ which is a beautiful Tibetan Buddhist Monastery.

We don't fly too high that we can see the camp next to the beautiful „Mount Pumori“; A pyramid-shaped mountain that lies about 8 km west of Mount Everest.

At the foot of this mountain we see the camp with tents in orange, blue, yellow and green colors.

And in front of us we see a few mountains and we fly high. Behind these mountains, suddenly we see glorious Mount Everest!

Flying around Mount Everest, and then starting our descent and flying back to Lukla and landing in this difficult and dangerous airport is a challenge that you want to repeat over and over again.