Can jets break the sound barrier over cities?


Can jets break the sound barrier over cities? But those jets rarely break the sound barrier over land unless they face a real-world emergency, to prevent panic among unsuspecting residents on the ground and damage to the community around them.


Do pilots need permission to go supersonic?

A sonic boom is a loud noise that people on the ground can hear when an aircraft, for example, breaks the sound barrier by traveling faster than the speed of sound. Supersonic flight is banned over land in the US without special government authorization because of the inconvenient noises and tremors it can produce.


Why is it illegal to go supersonic over a city?

Current rules prohibit commercial airplanes from flying at supersonic speeds over land because of the noise levels associated with sonic booms and the negative impacts to humans and animals. Despite this, supersonic travel is intriguing to airplane companies, because of the time it would save people on long flights.


How many jets have broken the sound barrier?

Supersonic aircraft have been used for research and military purposes, but only two supersonic aircraft, the Tupolev Tu-144 (first flown on December 31, 1968) and the Concorde (first flown on March 2, 1969), ever entered service for civil use as airliners.


Can humans hear sonic booms?

All we see is the pressure wave moving down the aeroplane – it gives an indication on the instruments. And that's what we see around Mach 1. But we don't hear the sonic boom or anything like that. That's rather like the wake of a ship – it's behind us.


Can jets go supersonic over land?

Fifty years ago, the federal government banned all civilian supersonic flights over land. The rule prohibits non-military aircraft from flying faster than sound so their resulting sonic booms won't startle the public below or concern them about potential property damage.


At what speed do jets break the sound barrier?

For example, the speed of sound at 30,000 feet is about 670 miles per hour, but an aircraft must travel at least 750 miles per hour (Mach 1.12, where Mach 1 equals the speed of sound) for a boom to be heard on the ground.


Do pilots feel when they break the sound barrier?

And the jet pilots don't feel a sonic boom from the cockpit, just as passengers on a boat don't feel the effects of the wake behind them, she added.


Why is breaking the sound barrier illegal?

Fifty years ago, the federal government banned all civilian supersonic flights over land. The rule prohibits non-military aircraft from flying faster than sound so their resulting sonic booms won't startle the public below or concern them about potential property damage.


Can a pilot feel a sonic boom?

And the jet pilots don't feel a sonic boom from the cockpit, just as passengers on a boat don't feel the effects of the wake behind them, she added.