From all of the above though it seems we have three pilots who claimed to have got to around 88K (the 95K was a gross exaggeration by someone, not Mike Hale I hasten to add!)

Brian Carroll ended up wth over 3000 hours on Lightnings and although I never met him, we corresponded on a regular basis. With all that experience I think he would have told it exactly as he saw it. Of course he fully appreciated the potential dangers and would have been monitoring the numbers closely. The rate of climb was much reduced by 85K and he would have had plenty of time to assess what his altimeter was telling him.

On his way down ATC asked him for his altitude and he took great pleasure in saying ‘Descending through FL700’ which caused a fair amount of consternation in the Tower!

Peter

salad fingers

300 yards sounds a bit close. During the U-2 trials in 1962 the rules of engagement included a stipulation that the Lightning was not to approach within 5,000 feet from the rear and on no account was to pass in front of the U-2.

The time available to effect the interception at 60K was only 80 seconds and this had reduced to 30 seconds at 65K. After that minimum control speed was reached and it was time to start heading down again.

Peter

I think I’m right in saying that the only officially sanctioned high-altitude flights in Lightnings were during the U-2 trials in 1962. Two Lightning F.1a’s from Wattisham were based at Middleton St George for the trial which was carried out by CFE.

The maximum altitude achieved was 68,700ft and pilots wore a Taylor-Baxter pressure helmet and a partial-pressure jerkin.

Peter

The more I think about it, the less I’m convinced.

Of crucial importance is the height of the tropopause. As far as I’m aware the F.3 never got any further than the Mediterranean area and even here the tropopause will be lower than in the tropics. So not only did he apparently get 7,000ft higher than in the other two cases, he would have had to do his high speed run at a lower altitude before starting his ballistic climb.

It’s got to be a line shoot!

Peter