"Sonic booms shake up area"

[garf12]

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/03/12/news_pf/Tampabay/Sonic_booms_shake_up_.shtml


Wow pretty shatty writing.

GRAHAM BRINK and SAUNDRA AMRHEIN
Published March 12, 2005


Seminole resident Henry Remi walked outside when he heard what sounded like a series of loud explosions Friday evening.

His neighbor had done the same thing.

"You hear that?" Remi asked.

"Yeah, I heard it," replied the neighbor.

Remi said he wanted to make sure he wasn't losing his mind. He wasn't.

What Remi and thousands of other residents from Citrus to Manatee counties heard and felt was two F-18 jets breaking the sound barrier. The resulting booms resonated from Citrus to Manatee counties.

The two Navy F-18 Hornets arrived from a naval air station in Pensacola and landed about 8 p.m., said Air Force 2nd Lt. Larry Vanderoord, spokesman for MacDill Air Force Base. He called their arrival a "routine landing" and said these planes usually fly faster and lower than typical planes landing at MacDill.

The jets, based out of California, were scheduled to take off again today or Sunday.

"They are very fast, and when they come in, they're very loud," Vanderoord said.

The shaking registered on the U.S. Geological Survey seismograph in Orlando, measuring 2.7 on the Richter Scale, the equivalent of a weak earthquake. Central Florida is not an active earthquake area, said USGS duty officer Madeleine Zirbes.

"They did see it register," Zirbes said from Denver, Colo. "They thought immediately that it could be a sonic boom."

The blast prompted hundreds of calls to area newspapers, TV and radio stations and local authorities. Many residents headed outside to find out why their homes were shaking.

Remi has heard the double boom that comes when space shuttles re-enter the atmosphere. On Friday, he said it sounded more like five or six booms in a row.

"I never heard so many booms come as rapidly as that," he said.

Carrollwood resident Mark Thatcher heard the rumbling over the noise of his television set.

"It just sounded like an airplane really close," he said.

 

[WizardPilot]

They come in fast, but I have never heard of them hitting up some booms. Interesting.

 

[GIVDrvr]

Spent a lot of time around Miramar way.... lots of F18s and no booms...mmmmmm

 

[urflyingme?!]

"I want some butts!!!!!!"

 

[Blue]

"They are very fast, and when they come in, they're very loud," Vanderoord said.

Wow, way to go Air Force Public Affairs for this statement.

 

[MTpilot]

Excuse Me

Whoops, was that mach one.......

 

[paulsalem]

Dumb question. But I fly no where near the speed of sound. Although I did ride on a Citation X once.

If your cruising above 1.0 is there a constant boom? Do the get louder at 2.0..3.0?

 

[garf12]

Dumb question. But I fly no where near the speed of sound. Although I did ride on a Citation X once.

If your cruising above 1.0 is there a constant boom? Do the get louder at 2.0..3.0?

Good question I have often wondered this? Does it only happen when you break it or is it constent?

 

[stadik_kling]

Dis guy spains the process better then I ever could:

http://www.sky-flash.com/boom.htm

 

[YeOldeProp]

Great F-4 picture...breaking Mach at 100' AGL....whoof!

 

[Mud Eagle]

Dis guy spains the process better then I ever could:

http://www.sky-flash.com/boom.htm

Except for the fact that he seems to think that any shot of a fighter with vapes indicates that the airplane is going through the number...which is pure crap.

 

[stadik_kling]

Except for the fact that he seems to think that any shot of a fighter with vapes indicates that the airplane is going through the number...which is pure crap.

From reading the text, I did not get the impression that this what the author claims. In fact, the text is credited to the USAF. I think the pics are there to aid in the visualization of the shock waves generated by an aircraft flying at supersonic speeds. The captions to the pics, as you point out, are crap.

 

[trip]

Cool pics of the F-4, That wouldn't be Bob Hoovers commander in the background would it? What an awesome show he would put on!

 

[Bjammin]

As you reach mach 1 the airplane buffets quite a bit as the shock wave on the wing and horizontal stab causes turbulance behind it. Once you go through the "number" this stops and the airplane flies very nice, but its easy to overstress due to very increased control effectivness. Not a huge deal because usually you are very high and don't have that rush of speed. It's more fun to be at 400-500kts on a low level.

You can get subsonic vapors well before you get anywhere near the number. Any time it's humid out and you produce alot of lift on the wing such as pulling alot of "G" or a heavy jet on takeoff, the increased speed of the air over the wing produces low pressure which makes it possible for the water vapor in the air to condense and be seen. Can be really cool coming into the break or fighting.