80000′ feet plus

Have just stumbled on this interesting thread so will throw in my 2p’s worth.
As a WIWOL I can vouch for the fact that 80000’+ indicated was very acheivable and did so myself in an F1A but would have thought that the much heavier F6/F53 would normally have really struggled above 80000 and 90000’+ is, in my humble opinion, fantasy. Having served with BC I too do not doubt his claim but I should point out, for those that may not appreciate it, that all these altitudes were extremely transitory being at the top of a prolonged, ballistic trajectory.
No one has mentioned the question of IAS and therefore aerodynamic controllability at these altitudes. I haven’t done the figures but I can assure you it is very low and you certainly wouldn’t want to be playing around with any aileron input! I am curious as to whether any others of those who have been there found, as I did, the complete lack of forward stick authority and got to the altitude they did as a result.
My lasting memory of my bit of stupidity ‘I wonder how high I can get?’ was that the sky went very dark, there was hardly a sound (apart from a thumping heart!) and that the view was sensational – out of this world almost!