Thanks for the info guys. I checked out a web site with articles by the
crews of the CH-47Ds that worked the mountain ranges in Afghanistan.
They frequently did landings at 17000 - 20000 ft. All very interesting
and informative.

In about '68 my brothers saw a Chinook lift a broken Huey from the summit of
Mt. Rainier -- greater than 14,000 feet. My brother lent the photos to one of
the pilots to copy and we never got them back. OTOH, I still have the Huey
pilot's helmet.

If anyone knows who to was I'd love to get the photos :-)

BTW, one of the brothers (Jim Springer) was in all the papers last month in a
story about a big rescue in the Tetons. He gets dropped in on the end of a long
tether at all altitudes of the Tetons. I can ask him what helicopter they use
if anyone is interested.

-- Charlie Springer