Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by Manuel_D 1215 days ago
In level flight or in a zoom climb? It's one thing to build up speed and pitch up in an ballistic arc, it's another thing to fly level at altitude.
2 comments
sokoloff 1215 days ago
The service ceiling is published as FL650. That’s defined as being able to sustain a 100fpm climb, so the absolute level flight ceiling is somewhat higher than that. Service ceiling figure is not in a zoom climb.

It would easily suffice to engage a balloon at FL600.

link
zabzonk 1215 days ago
the venerable english electric lightning (RAF) intercepted a u2 at 66k feet during a nato exercise under full control. it also made it to 86K feet, but that was a zoom climb, and the pilot seems to have found the experience rather scary.
link