Allegedly, during the exercise, a RNZAF pilot flew as pax in a Vulcan, and played his bagpipes at an incredible altitude, which must have taken quite some puff. He tried to claim a Guiness Record, but he was refused because some Yankee astronaut had played a Penny Whistle in orbit. Shame.
1973? Too late. 101 Sqn AEO Flt Lt Keith "Ginge" Knight took the world bagpiping altitude record at 43,000 feet in a squadron BMk1A in 1965, with the altitude verified by the special radar unit in the Shetlands. I doubt if any subsequent claim could be independently verified with similar accuracy. Although the Vulcan could fly higher than that, taking cabin differential limits into account it would not be advisable to remove one's oxygen mask much above that height. Besides, the Penny Whistle is a musical instrument whereas the bagpipes are a weapon of war.
