Oleg Zabluda's blog
Sunday, April 29, 2012
 
A pilot entering airspace near LAX, contacts air traffic controller:
A pilot entering airspace near LAX, contacts air traffic controller:
- Request permission to go to 60,000 ft
- How the hell are you going to go up to 60,000 ft?
- I am not going up to 60,000 ft. I am going down to 60,000 ft.

There are a lot of anecdotes like that about SR-71. What makes sense in this rendition is that in US one does need permission to go down to 60,000 ft (where class A airspace ends). You can do whatever you want, and need no stinking permissions from the civilians above 60,000 ft. What doesn't make sense is that there are other aircraft which can go to 60,000 ft. U-2 (70,000 ft, 1957), F-15 (65,000 ft, 1976), F-22 (65,000, 2005). That's why I like another rendition:

- ...I am not going up to 60,000 ft. I am going down to 60,000 ft.
- How the hell are you going to go down to 60,000 ft?
- Through 80,000 ft

SR-71, introduced in 1966, had official service ceiling of 85,000 ft, and the rumored one of 98,000 ft.

SR-71 Anecdotes galore:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=877721
http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f68/sr-71-blackbird-pilots-story-50136/
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/5207DTp_LAuZqUkU0ghTMNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0

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