Stefan writes:

Maybe a communications problem? If MSFS lets you climb there in a 172 on
your own, then it's wrong. If however it just lets you put it up there
as a starting point, this isn't wrong per se. The question then is, how
does it handle the situation?

At 45,000 feet, the engine seems to windmill a bit but will not run.
Airspeed is about 80 KIAS, and the aircraft can be held level easily
enough, but it is losing altitude very quickly, at around 2000 fpm.
Not much can be done with it (short of diving) for 15-20,000 feet or
so, at which point control seems to get better, and the engine will
run if you set the mixture right. At that altitude there are some
fairly huge phugoid movements if you try to climb or descend. Whether
the aircraft actually behaves this way in real life at such altitudes,
I don't know.

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