Since its inauguration in 1968, RA 100t the daily Mountain Flight of Royal Nepal Airlines, has been a major Himalayan tourist attraction. For U$ 99 you can fly along and above the eastern Nepal Himalaya for a bird´s eye view of Chomolongma /Everest/ Sagarmatha.
The typical flight departs from Tribhuvan International Airport at 7 am. It flies a right-turn climbing loop over Khumaltar, Chobar, Kalimati, Kupandol and Patan in the Kathmandu Valley, and heads eastwards over Dhulikhel towards Chahkot and Jiri. The Himalaya unfurl on the plane´s left: from Langtang and Shishapangma (8016m) to JugalHimal,Lapchi Kang, Ru! waling Himal, and the Khumbu Himal. Passengers are invited to visit the cockpit, where the windows are cleanest and visibility is best. Everest can already been seen from over 100 km away, rising above all other peaks.
After exactly half the flight time, the plane reaches the Dudh Kosi Valley. It starts a wide leftU-tum flying northwards, bringing into close-up view the four 8000m peaks of Makalu, Lhotse, Everest and Cho Oyu. Around Namche Bazar it begins to head west, skirting closely past Karyolung (6511 m) and passing the prominent Solu peak of Numbur (6957m) at a distance of less than two kilometers. It then turns towards Gauri Shanker, flying past its twinpeak. By then the plane is already descending back towards Kalhmandu. Chaduk Bhir/Chhoba Bamare, the Tin gs ang Pass and the ridge-top town of Chautara pass by the window.
It makes a difference whether you get to sit on right or the left side of the plane. On the left, the mountains are visible during the out-bound trip. Excitement mounts as they draw nearer. Though Royal Nepal maintains that there is no difference, the right side, facing the mountains on the way back, ultimately offers the better view. When visibility is good, Kanchen-junga (8586m), on the Sikkim border, can be seen from the right side as the plane banks north ward during the U-turn. Because the aircraft flies 20 km further north during the return trip, those on the right get more close-ups while flying over Dudhkunda Glacier and the southern edge of the Rolwaling Valley. Karyolung, Numbur, Menlungtse and Gauri Shanker loom particularly close. Khumbu Himal is a special attraction: instead of a linear chain, the passenger is presented with an intertwined mass of mountains, ridges and valleys. Right side passengers also get a glimpse of the glaciers and plains of Tibet.