The high-alpine specialist
Aérospatiale SA315B Lama
An exposed-frame high-altitude specialist from an earlier generation, still encountered in a small number of alpine heli-ski programs.
Aérospatiale / Airbus legacy support
SA315B Lama
- Typical ski format
- 3 guests + guide
- Certified seating
- 1 pilot + 4 passengers
- Published cruise
- 103 kt / 191 km/h
- Main rotor diameter
- 11.02 m
The skier’s view
A rare machine with an unmistakable silhouette
The Lama combines an Alouette II airframe with the Alouette III power system. Its lattice tail boom, compact cabin and high-altitude heritage make it instantly recognizable—and very different from a current H125.
Today it belongs in the specialist, regional chapter of the heli-ski story. Heliski Russia still names the SA315B Lama as an aircraft option in the Caucasus, while Airbus lists the type in its supported legacy directory.
High-altitude heritage
Designed around demanding mountain utility work.
Compact cabin
One pilot and four passenger seats at the certified maximum.
Rare today
A specialist regional type, not a modern fleet default.
Inside the cabin
A compact cabin with almost no spare space
The certified layout is one pilot and four passengers. This conservative ski example assigns one of those passenger places to the guide and three to guests.
- Configuration
- Illustrative three-guest layout
- Equipment
- Long equipment must be carried externally; personal items are kept deliberately minimal.
Airbus legacy directory maximum; operator seat map not public
The operator’s view
Why this aircraft works
- A design with a long record of high-altitude mountain work.
- A compact footprint for specialist regional operations.
- Existing local expertise around a legacy aircraft type.
Where you will find it
Names matter
Variants and aliases
SA315B Lama
The original Aérospatiale production type covered here.
HAL Cheetah
An Indian licence-built development; not treated as the same operator fleet claim.
Alouette II / III
Related donor families, but separate aircraft types.
Research notes
Sources & verification
Aircraft specifications describe reference conditions. Operator sources establish current heli-ski use and group format. Last reviewed 2026-08-22.
- manufacturerSA315B legacy aircraft directory Airbus Helicopters
- authorityEASA.R.123 type certificate European Union Aviation Safety Agency
- operatorElbrus heli-ski program Heliski Russia
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