In 1990, I was a young 2nd Lt, and was learning to be a navigator in the USAF. Late one evening we were returning on a training route that drove up the US Pacific coast and briefly entered Canada before heading back to the south to Mather AFB (near Sacramento, CA). Night sorties were usually scheduled after 9pm in those days to avoid conflicts with red eye flights out of San Francisco Intl. and Sacramento Intl., so the radio was usually pretty quiet. At about 1:45am, while our training flight was over northern Oregon returning home, I got to listen to what is considered one of the funniest exchanges ever on the radio.
Night time was also the time of day when the younger air traffic controllers were on shift in order to learn and get experience without a heavy traffic load. Seattle Center was thusly manned when Aspen 44 called Center with a request for clearance to Flight Level 600 (60,000 ft).
The incredulous controller, asked, "44, If you can get to FL600, you can have it” with a tone of disbelief and amusement.
The SR-71 pilot, responded casually, "Aspen 44 – descending to FL600.” The radio went completely silent for probably the next five minutes because of how hard everyone on frequency was probably laughing.
