Aérospatiale SA315B Lama

An Aérospatiale SA-315B Lama stands as an open-air exhibit on the grounds of Bolivia's Grupo Aéreo de Búsqueda y Salvamento 51 in Cochabamba. Originally developed by French manufacturer Sud Aviation for high-altitude, high-temperature conditions — with the Indian Air Force's Himalayan operations in mind — the Lama became a legend in 1972 when test pilot Jean Boulet flew one to an absolute helicopter altitude record of 12,442 meters, restarting the engine by autorotation after it flamed out in the cold. That record stood unchallenged for nearly three decades. The displayed airframe offers a close-up look at the stripped-down engineering that made it capable of operating in the thin air of the Bolivian altiplano.