During 1969, a series of early demonstration flights involving the SA315B were performed in the Himalayas; during one such flight, a single rotorcraft carrying a crew of two and 120kg of fuel landed and then took off at what was then the highest altitude to be recorded, 7,500m (24,605ft). On 21 June 1972, a Lama with a single pilot (Jean Boulet) aboard established a helicopter absolute altitude record of 12,442m (40,814ft), a record which still stands as of December 2018. During the same flight, the Lama's engine flamed out at the peak altitude of the flight, which led to an inadvertent record being set for the longest ever autorotation after which the rotorcraft was brought to a safe unpowered landing. Days before, the same pilot and aircraft had set a similar record at a higher weight.