362436 (Ron) wrote in message ...
Probably few do. About fifteen years ago I was a controller at Chicago
Center working traffic in the Madison, WI, area. A NASA ER-1 departed MSN
requesting an unrestricted climb to FL610. I coordinated with the high
altitude sector and issued the climb. He went up like a rocket! The Mode C
readout couldn't keep up with him. Shortly after he reported out of FL600
and cancelled IFR, the Mode C read FL600. I asked a Data Systems Specialist
about it and he told me that FL600 and higher will read out as FL600.

The pilot mentions FL60 in the audio clip, also mention of a supersonic run in
Pecos MOA though, I am not sure how high Pecos MOA goes up to, but I doubt its
that high. the FL60 comment is strange too.

I would not be suprised if it was someone pulling a prank on Mr Douglas
though.
Ron
Pilot/Wildland Firefighter

My take on the supposed classified planform flying at 60,000 feet and
going supersonic for 10 seconds would be a newly assembled MIG-25 from
Iraq. It was one of 8 Mig-25's dug out of the desert and airlifted to
Tonopah along with 3 Mig-23's, 2 Mig-21's and a Mirage F-1. Barring
that, it could be a newly acquired Mig-25 from a nation that just
retired the type recently and sold it to the US in exchange for
defense equipment considerations.

If there was something like Aurora, it would have long ago being
released and shown to the world as an example of aircraft design
achievement especially on the 100th Anniversary of the Wright Brothers
flight. We cannot rule the possibility of a covert stealth prototype
program with a contractor making a handful of aircraft destined to be
tested behind closed doors and then kept behind closed doors for years
until fit to be released. Recent example was the Bird of Prey
released to the WPAFB Air Force Museum last August and displayed along
Tacit Blue which first flew in 1982 and then was put in the garage
until cleared for display in 1998.

It could be a FB-22 prototype created from the F-22 program for a long
range strike bomber or a stretched version of a F-117 into a two seat
aircraft with long range fuel tanks incorporated in a stealth airframe
with carriage for 4 2000lb bombs. Or even something new and exotic
with limited supersonic speed flying on an exotic type of fuel.
Anything is possible and we will not know until they release the
prototype sometime in the future.

In the black world, creativity runs rampant until new inventions are
created. This secrecy is the price we pay in order to acquire cutting
edge technology.

Goodwin