No Mode C on the Frightning, so all claimed infringements by civil jets could be handled by the correct turn of phrase when speaking to the pilot. e.g.
"22, Staxton, LATCC has claimed you got to close to his 747 at FL350, confirm you had separation?"
"Affirmative Staxton, good visual and not above FL340".
As for flying at the airframe limit rather than the AvMed limit I think that has happened more than once.
It was common in the last 6 months before Binbrook shut as every one tried to see how high they could get. Up to TTL6 or 8 then north followed by a high speed run south parallel to the coast and then a zoom climb before recovery. HF200 showed heights around 80K.
The most memorable was the response from the pilot who was heading towards the Aggressor Area and to whom I gave several avoiding turn instructions. After replying "Wait" in response to the first few, he eventual explained.
"Staxton, I would if I could, but I can't. I'm VFR above* and slowly toppling end over end and it's very, very quiet. When things start working again, I'll let you know".
*Top of the MRSA was either FL600 or FL660 at the time, can't remember when it changed.
Rather p*ssed of Midland Radar when I handed another off for recovery at the edge of the Dive Arc along the lines of
"22, on recovery, VFR." It was only when he checked in they discovered he was VFR above.
