So being that I live rural my area seems to get hit with sonic booms several times a year. Today, at lunch, two of them. Shook the whole frikken house.

I am not far from Ft. Leonard Wood nor Whiteman AFB. In the summer they do this frequently during exercises.

I find these things to be very disruptive. Certainly make the livestock unhappy. There was a red shoulder hawk I was watching in a tree when this happened. Caused it to take flight as well.

I wonder if there was something happening to have two of these one after the other? There was about 15 minutes between booms.

Being a former fighter jockey, sonic booms over the continental USA these days are pretty unusual. It's been nearly 30 years now since my last Hornet flight but at that time, there were very few, like 2 or 3 nation wide, military operating areas where supersonic flight was allowed.

That said, from time to time, a mistake might be made and you just don't get the throttle pulled back fast enough to avoid it.

Seriously? Someone else told me the same thing yet this happens frequent enough. If the sounds were not sonic booms what are they?

quote:

Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures:
Seriously? Someone else told me the same thing yet this happens frequent enough. If the sounds were not sonic booms what are they?

I'm sure they are sonic booms. But more than likely, are a result of allowing the jet to get too close to the sound barrier before backing off the throttle and poking through it momentarily. Happens all the time and it can happen quickly.

Interesting and thanks for explaining. I can only imagine what it would be like to drive such a jet.

There are at least a half dozen of such occurrences here each year. The most I have ever heard in all the places I have lived.

We stayed with my cousin in Sun City West, about 7 miles NE of Luke AFB earlier this year.
F16s routinely fly training missions nearly every day. They can be rather loud. I asked him if I thg both er ted him. "Nah," he says, "sounds like freedom to me."

Yes indeed! When we were stationed at McConnell AFB in the mid-60s they were a common thing.

Here's a link to the sectional chart:

https://www.modot.org/media/4730

And you can see where the "Cannon A" MOA (Military Operations Area) is located and that the planes are probably going a mile in a little under 8 seconds (there's a mileage scale on the bottom of the chart), and as Todd Williams says it can happen quickly.

I was hunting in the Alaska Range a few years ago. Fly in tent camp, i.e. middle of no where. There was a sonic boom, which apparently the guide had never heard. The look on his face was priceless, I think he thought the world was coming to an end. They are actually fairly common in parts of Alaska, or at least they were, I have not been up there in several years.

quote:

Originally posted by Mark:
Here's a link to the sectional chart:

https://www.modot.org/media/4730

And you can see where the "Cannon A" MOA (Military Operations Area) is located and that the planes are probably going a mile in a little under 8 seconds (there's a mileage scale on the bottom of the chart), and as Todd Williams says it can happen quickly.

I am very close to that area. Probably why these occur with such frequency. Some neighbors have reported issues with stock trampling/spooking from these. As a rancher, I can understand the danger here.

As a young boy we lived in Salina, KS which was right next to Schilling AFB, until they decommissioned it. Back in the mid 1950's until June of 1965 when they moved everything to other bases. We heard sonic booms during the day and at night, and they would rattle the windows in the house. I became used to the booms and they didn't wake me up at night. What did wake my at night was when we stopped having them. I know this sounds crazy but I would wake up during the night with the feeling something was missing, and it dawned on me that it was the sonic booms. Schilling was a SAC base and it was home to long range bombers, but they must have flown fighters in and out also.

My understanding...it it illegal to break the sound barrier over the continental U.S. and a grounding offense if one did it.

Funniest reference to sonic booms ever.......

President Reagan knew of the North Koreans having a high level summit so he had an SR-71 do figure 8's over the area at triple MACH rattling the tea cups off the tables.

Great story worth the listen.......

SR-71

quote:

Originally posted by bentaframe:
My understanding...it it illegal to break the sound barrier over the continental U.S. and a grounding offense if one did it.

I have learned this too but around here it isn't enforced I guess. Rural America...

quote:

Originally posted by bentaframe:
My understanding...it it illegal to break the sound barrier over the continental U.S. and a grounding offense if one did it.

In the words of the inept president elect: Come on Man!

LOL

Let's put it in perspective. While conducting training exercises, mainly Air Combat Maneuvering and Beyond Visual Range Intercepts, it is often required to select After Burner and charge toward the merge or extend away from the fight when in a defensive position. Typically, you are going to be HIGHLY focused on things such as weapons switchology, radar interpretation, altitude restrictions, as well as maintaining situational awareness of staying within the lateral confines of the MOA (Military Operating Area).

Under such circumstances, it's just as easy to break the Mach 1 barrier / limit momentarily and slightly, as it is to hit 71 or 72 mph driving in a 70 speed limit zone. When driving in a 70, are you focused 100% on your speedometer or looking outside, staying on the road, de-conflicting with oncoming traffic, etc?

Surely you don't advocate grounding a pilot the government has spent millions on training just because he inadvertently busted the speed limit?

Now I suppose, if said pilot was flying one of the airways, or transiting to/from the MOA, in other words, not participating in tactical exercises, and then intentionally exceeded the sound barrier, that would be a different story.

It has happened a few times while I have been out desert quail hunting way north of Las Vegas and near the test site and Area 51. Of course, the planes were coming up from Nellis AFB to do their training and maneuvers. It even occurred a couple of times while I was hunting mule deer in Nevada's area 24 a few years back.

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:

quote:

Originally posted by bentaframe:
My understanding...it it illegal to break the sound barrier over the continental U.S. and a grounding offense if one did it.

In the words of the inept president elect: Come on Man!

LOL

Let's put it in perspective. While conducting training exercises, mainly Air Combat Maneuvering and Beyond Visual Range Intercepts, it is often required to select After Burner and charge toward the merge or extend away from the fight when in a defensive position. Typically, you are going to be HIGHLY focused on things such as weapons switchology, radar interpretation, altitude restrictions, as well as maintaining situational awareness of staying within the lateral confines of the MOA (Military Operating Area).

Under such circumstances, it's just as easy to break the Mach 1 barrier / limit momentarily and slightly, as it is to hit 71 or 72 mph driving in a 70 speed limit zone. When driving in a 70, are you focused 100% on your speedometer or looking outside, staying on the road, de-conflicting with oncoming traffic, etc?

Surely you don't advocate grounding a pilot the government has spent millions on training just because he inadvertently busted the speed limit?

Now I suppose, if said pilot was flying one of the airways, or transiting to/from the MOA, in other words, not participating in tactical exercises, and then intentionally exceeded the sound barrier, that would be a different story.

I would love to experience such a thing in person, meaning in the aircraft. I would, however, prefer it if there was some sort of warning the days that these events could/might occur. They do scare the chit out of me and my livestock.

I'm five miles south of Wichita Falls and haven't heard a sonic boom in years.

Another one today which makes two for September so far. The average is two a month since starting this thread.

I think I am 'owed' a ride in these planes at least once a year for having to endure this!

In the late 60's and 70's, I lived south east of Mather AFB and McClellan AFB. We would watch air drop practice dead east of our house. Sonic booms were at least once per week some times twice in one day. One day they stopped and I never heard another one. That has been about 55 years.

So another update. Apparently since these have been so frequent the public has complained and surprise! These are not being done by our military for our military. read:

The explanation behind latest loud boom in the Ozarks Wednesday

By KY3 Staff
Published: Sep. 15, 2021 at 5:09 PM CDT|Updated: 3 hours ago

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - It happened again.
Another loud boom hit the Ozarks.

Callers to the KY3 newsroom say they felt this one around midday. The general area where it was felt included Greene, Polk, Webster and Laclede Counties.

KY3 asked Boeing in St. Louis if it was them? It was. They released this statement to KY3 News:

“On a mission authorized by the United States Government in support of a customer contract, a Boeing crew in a training flight operated a 90 second test of an F-15 at that time.”

These tests flights have become normal in the Ozarks.
~~~~~~~~

So some interesting words here. "Normal" and "Customer".

"Customer" indicates this is for another country and not our military.

"Normal" explains why these have been so frequent. In other words, FY, poor country people, we got jets to sell.

BTW- St Louis is a 3 hour drive from my area. I know that's a dot on the map for a super sonic jet. Everyone knows these jets can hit the sound barrier and do incredible things. Why not just buy the damn jet and go 'boom' your own country?

About 15 years ago on a Sunday I was walking from the house to my shop when this massive explosion shook everything including the ground + all the neighborhood chickens went berserk. My 1st thought was that my loading room had gone up but no, thank God. 2 days later I found out what had happened. One of the white trash neighbors had stolen a case of dynamite with fishing intentions but got sent to poison 1st. before going he stuffed the case under a cedar tree on an adjacent property. The land owner found it after it had been in the elements for several months + it was decomposing + sweating. So he called the S.O. They took one look at it + called the bomb squad who took one look at it + decided to sandbag it + blow it right there. They did but it sure would have been nice to let everyone in the area know what was going on.

Back in the late 40's right after my dad brought the farm from my uncle.

He was cleaning things up and in the top of the chicken coop he stopped a dynamite carrier.

A special box that they hauled dynamite around in.

In it was a some dynamite with some sweating going on. A box of caps.

So he hauls the box out to our furthest hayfield about half a mile from the house.

Sets it up so its at the far end.

Walks a couple hundred yards. Takes his model 99 300sav.

And lets a round off. The neighbors were talking about it for a month. My grandparents who lived about a mile away said it shook the windows.

In the 1920's and 30's the small local store would bring in train car loads of the stuff.

And all spring and summer long one could hear stumps being blown out.

When I am in Yuma AZ for the winter. We get a sonic boom every so often. From the planes flying out of the MCAS.

Just be thankful, commercial aviation doesn't fly supersonic, one of the limitations of the Concord that limited it's operation.

Grizz

quote:

Originally posted by Grizzly Adams1:
Just be thankful, commercial aviation doesn't fly supersonic, one of the limitations of the Concord that limited it's operation.

Grizz

I used to live near Dulles airport and when tbr Concorde went overhead there was a pane of glass in the window next to the door that would rattle. Even at a distance that bastard was loud!

A bunch of years ago in Seattle there were a couple sonic booms when they deployed a few planes because a Cessna violates a temp airspace restriction when the president was in town. Might have been overkill, but it was kind of cool hearing those booms

There was a woman that as a small girl was told eating gun powder would extend her life. She faithfully sprinkled a little gunpowder on her oatmeal daily. Lived to be 112. Left behind 5 children, 28 grandchildren 34 great grandchildren and a 40 foot hole where the crematorium use to be.

quote:

Originally posted by carpetman1:
There was a woman that as a small girl was told eating gun powder would extend her life. She faithfully sprinkled a little gunpowder on her oatmeal daily. Lived to be 112. Left behind 5 children, 28 grandchildren 34 great grandchildren and a 40 foot hole where the crematorium use to be.

Bet that was a big boom!

This may not be the place for it but I will insert anyway. Old remedy for ringworm was mixing gunpowder with grease + applying on the sore. I've tried it in the past using black powder + vaseline + it worked.

Yup, sulpher and lard for ringworm, was the old mix for cattle. Now they just tell you to let them into the sunshine, that dries it up and kills it.

I too think the sound is FREEDOM ringing!

My brother and I were hunting bighorn in Wyoming and after a long stalk we had the rams feeding out into the opening at 300 yards.
Bro was trained on the ram he wanted and BOOM, the sonic boom blasted and echoed in the canyon and amazingly the sheep held their ground. The next boom was from my bro's 300 Win Mag and the hunt was over with him taking a great, old, one-eyed ram!

Zeke

Had a skitzso friend that pulled stunts at
times. I was in the shop welding one day
when he came over. "would you fill this
balloon with acetylene for me?" "you dumb
bastard this stuff will kill you if you
breathe it like that other crap you suck on"
"oh oh no no no I won't breathe this stuff" "well ok"

Big rubber job, filled it up to around 2' dia.
he tied it off and left happy.

Middle of the night the sky lit up bright orange and one hell of a boom.
wife jumped half out of bed: "what the hell was that???" "nothing,
go back to sleep" "what was it??"
"just Jimmer, I'll tell you about it in the
morning".

Big doings over that one, FBI, CBI, air officials all "investigating for weeks".
Nothing was ever found of course.

Turned out he had a box full of those balloons
and a bottle of helium and somewhere one of
them stole a roll of fuse.
Later when I asked he'd used 10 feet of 1 minute fuse and a 3' dia. balloon of helium.
"wanted it to get way the fk up there".
Bang went off around 2am.
Woke up most of the town I'm sure.
The paper and local news "interviewed a bunch of people about what they'd seen or heard".
I had a hard time not choking on the laughter I had to hold back.

Before the investigations were over he came and wanted more gas and I flat refused. It
was a few years before I told the wife what it
really was. Sure kept the news and paper busy for weeks. Late 80's sometime.

Sure been a long time since I heard the last
sonic boom.

George

Wasn't sonic booms, because I dont think the skyhawks the NZ airforce used went supersonic, but they could get close. They used a big valley on my old farm for low level flying once in a while, and I was blissfully unaware as I rode my ATV up the track over the saddle leaving the valley. Next thing this massive blast hit me and a wave of pressure went through me. I honestly thought Id been shot, as Id quite recently pissed off a bad egg. Anyway was quite pleased to quickly realise a skyhawk had just passed through the saddle from behind me at a crazy low height.

quote:

Originally posted by shankspony:
Wasn't sonic booms, because I dont think the skyhawks the NZ airforce used went supersonic, but they could get close. They used a big valley on my old farm for low level flying once in a while, and I was blissfully unaware as I rode my ATV up the track over the saddle leaving the valley. Next thing this massive blast hit me and a wave of pressure went through me. I honestly thought Id been shot, as Id quite recently pissed off a bad egg. Anyway was quite pleased to quickly realise a skyhawk had just passed through the saddle from behind me at a crazy low height.

I bet that was cool once you realized what it was.

Indeed; I can relate, in a way. When hunting in south Texas we occasionally had to crawl through wesatch (sp) + mesquite bushes on our hands + knees + their dry bean pods sounded just like a rattler, so you were already on edge, so when a branch came back + swatted you on the backside you just knew you have gotten bit + asked yourself once again why you thought this hunt was a good idea.

quote:

Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures:

quote:

Originally posted by shankspony:
Wasn't sonic booms, because I dont think the skyhawks the NZ airforce used went supersonic, but they could get close. They used a big valley on my old farm for low level flying once in a while, and I was blissfully unaware as I rode my ATV up the track over the saddle leaving the valley. Next thing this massive blast hit me and a wave of pressure went through me. I honestly thought Id been shot, as Id quite recently pissed off a bad egg. Anyway was quite pleased to quickly realise a skyhawk had just passed through the saddle from behind me at a crazy low height.

I bet that was cool once you realized what it was.

Yeah, Cool And awe striking! Another experience with them was camping on a high alpine ridge and again they were doing low level flights and at times actually being below us. One of the pilots must have seen us and the next jet past banked and pulled in closer and we could see the pilot from maybe 75-100 meters watching us as he flew past.
No deer that trip though. For some reason they had vacated the mountain tops.
The speed and closeness too the ground they were going was staggering.

Boeing delivered another BOOM to the community today. Another 'test flight'.

Back when I lived in Michigan my farm was in the flight path of Selfridge ANG. They would often fly C-130's (or similar, I'm not an aircraft expert) in formations of several planes low, not far above tree tops. Very cool seeing them fly over, you could feel that rumble.

One time I was mowing and being on the riding tractor I couldn't hear them coming and I nearly dove and rolled off the mower when I turned a corner and there they were, seemingly in my lap. I'm sure my heart skipped a few beats.

I remember reading in one of Jeff Cooper's articles about 2 traffic cops that set up a speed trap right outside of an AFB. All of a sudden their car was locked onto a missile that picked up their radar + buzzed them right overhead. The base commander informed them how lucky they were that it wasn't armed while they were doing testing.

quote:

Originally posted by shankspony:
Wasn't sonic booms, because I dont think the skyhawks the NZ airforce used went supersonic, but they could get close. They used a big valley on my old farm for low level flying once in a while, and I was blissfully unaware as I rode my ATV up the track over the saddle leaving the valley. Next thing this massive blast hit me and a wave of pressure went through me. I honestly thought Id been shot, as Id quite recently pissed off a bad egg. Anyway was quite pleased to quickly realise a skyhawk had just passed through the saddle from behind me at a crazy low height.

Ah, the A4 Skyhawk. STILL my favorite jet to fly. Had a lot of fun in those. I was an advanced jet flight instructor in the Skyhawk for 2 years in my mid 20's. Good times, especially flying fast and low over South Texas as well as across the desert Southwest when we took students out to El Centro.

But yeah, not normally a supersonic jet. Will it go supersonic at all? Yep. 90 degrees nose down at full military power from about 28,000 feet. But it's not recommended as the horizontal stabilizer gets blocked from the shock wave and you have to use trim to break the nose attitude. Pulling back on the stick won't do anything. Don't ask me how I know!