Stunning Images of a Coast Guard Helicopter Landing on Mount Washington Summit
The Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire welcomed a guest this weekend, one that isn't exactly a regular.
A United States Coast Guard helicopter took a spin up the mountain to drop by. However, not for any dire purpose. As the Mount Washington Observatory wrote in their post, the helicopter was simply on a routine training mission. The weather was ideal for a touchdown, so the pilot made a brief stop on the summit.
The wind was unusually light that day, so it was truly ideal conditions for the helicopter that was flying over the White Mountains. Typically, winds in the mountains, especially on top of Mount Washington, can be incredibly treacherous.
The most famous story is from 1934, when the team in the observatory at the time recorded a 231 MPH wind gust, a number that is simply impossible to comprehend. That's nearly 100 MPH more than a Class 5 hurricane.
Clearly this was not the case this weekend, and because of that, we can see these incredible images of the rescue copter and its crew keeping in shape.
It's also beautiful to see the stunning mid-spring snowpack that the White Mountains is featuring. The pack is usually quite evident until July, but usually returns by September. However, it doesn't mean that it won't snow in the heart of Summer, because it most certainly has.
I also can't imagine how surreal it must be to fly a helicopter in and around the White Mountains. Talk about scenic flying on steroids.
Jealous of the helicopter? Don't be. Even you can visit the summit in a vehicle, because Mount Washington has a road all the way up. You can even get a silly sticker that says your car reached the summit.