The Gun Counter

Linkarooni - they act like all sonic booms are the same and have the same footprint. I'd like to know how they came up with this figure: “Peak noise levels would exceed 140 decibels, well beyond the threshold of discomfort and pain,” Potorti said. - yeah, perhaps if you're standing next to the plane at military power.

More supersonic airspace opposed for Nevada

The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Dec 22, 2008 14:10:49 EST

RENO, Nev. — Environmental groups are opposing an Air Force proposal to extend a supersonic operations area by 1.6 million acres in eastern Nevada.

Critics argue the move would increase the frequency of sonic booms and litter from training operations, harming residents and the environment.

The White Elk area north of Ely is adjacent to the current Utah supersonic operations area.

Opponents say operations would jump from about 400 flights per year to as many as 9,500.

More of this story..............

When I was a boy sonic booms were common. I don't think there were many that actually rattled the windows and non of them were painful.

Yes, as a boy in Northern Nevada sonic booms were a regular occurance and none were ever painful...not even close. Sometimes I read these articles and am becoming convinced that we, as a nation, are becoming a land of whining puss cakes. It's embarrassing.

Critics argue the move would increase the frequency of sonic booms and litter from training operations, harming residents and the environment.

Litter?

I did not realize that the pilots were tossing their Whopper wrappers and Slurpee cups out of the cockpit.

Oh, suuuure they do -- they just have to be careful not to throw them in front of the intakes and create FOD...

Scott Free wrote:Oh, suuuure they do -- they just have to be careful not to throw them in front of the intakes and create FOD...

Oh, it's fine if they do that these days. I hear the F-22 and F-35 have the new Forward Aircraft Tracking Anti-Slurpee System that automatically jinks as soon as the pilot tosses his empties out. The FATASS can track up to an entire case of beer in one go, though we're working on a phased-array system that will be able to track thousands of cigarette butts as well.

Back in my days on the flightline, though, we just had the Force-Feedback disposal system. You knew a cup had been disposed of by the rattling and shaking of the aircraft and it was backed up by the engine instruments showing that the engine had been put into "sleep mode" like most modern computers.

As a child, I lived near Avon Park Airforce Base. They had a bombing range as well as a few fighter wings based there. Sonic booms were COMMON. With one or two exceptions they were a complete non-event.

One pilot ran N/S instead of E/W and ran at 3000 ft instead of 13000 ft or something and buzzed our little "town".

Total damage: a few annoyed people, one broken window and one severely chewed out pilot

I currently live within a few miles of the shuttle landing path. Double sonic boom every time it comes in.

typical response (if even noticed)
Boom boom, wtf? oh yeah the shuttle was landing. go about normal activities.