Supersonic @ an Airshow...

[BALLISTIC]

I have been to many airshows in my life. I was a regular at El Toro before the shut it down, and now usually make the trip to Miramar or Point Mugu. With both of these shows being canceled during the 'shutdown' I am feeling deprived of my military power showcase. I have never seen a supersonic flyby during an airshow, but from YT I have seen that they do exists, although very restricted. I would even travel to Aviation Nation @ Nellis AFB, but it also has been canceled.

Where can I see a supersonic pass in the USA? I have heard that during a Tiger cruise, there generally is one, but since most my buddies have already left the Navy, that I might not be able to get to go on one. Any ideas? I've always wanted to be a pilot, but now that I am almost 30, it seems as I have lost my chance, but if I could at least visualize a supersonic pass, I might die a happy man.

TIA

 

[Luky]

Not sure exactly what you mean by "visualize" a supersonic pass? Do you mean to see the vapor cloud around the plane as it speeds by? I have some great pics of that from high speed passes at miramar two years ago... have to look on my PC. Don't know that they were actually "supersonic" though. Don't think they are alowed.

 

[BALLISTIC]

I apologize, what I meant was 'experience' in regards to a supersonic pass. I have seen passes which incorporated vapor trails, but that is easy in high humidity environments. I want to feel the sonic boom within my chest, and not by a, not longer functioning, NASA aircraft which is only decelerating through our airspace. I personally think prop planes are as engaging, nostalgic aircraft and I enjoy them immensely, IE: P38, P51, C-130 etc. But there is nothing that can supersede the superior airspace alluded to as a jet powered aircraft capable of sustaining mach 1+ while delivering munitions, and by that measure I would love to see one in the flesh.

I have seen a few 'unrestricted' climbs by modern jets, but even then it seems they are neutered for 'public safety' to 5 or maybe 10K. I would like to see a F15 go unrestricted to 40+K and a supersonic pass by any modern jet, B1B, F14, F15, F16, F18, F22, shit even an F4. The fact that we do not fully encapsulate our capabilities is only more depressing. It's like taking a Corvette out on a track to only do '65MPH' runs, when any modern 4 banger can do the same. Fuck the FAA, those guys wouldn't know fun if you slapped them in the face with a full week of it. The military should be able to go above and beyond standard FAA protocol, if only for a day, for the enjoyment of the American population at large.

 

[Barneybdb]

A supersonic shock wave is capable of causing considerable damage. We had an interesting event at the Air Base I was working at many years ago, the base had many glasshouses on one boundary supposedly growing tomatoes. One of our pilots made an "inadvertent" supersonic pass over the base and shattered thousands of glass panels. Strangely, no insurance claims were made. An investigation revealed the crops were actually marijuana. The pilot was still reprimanded.

 

[sharac]

Rightly so destroying perfectly good glasshouses and endangering harvest... I mean come on it's fun and all but people should be responsible especially those in multimillion dollar machines.

Though i agree with pussy factor and nanny rules, nothing beats FEELING of power when burners are set to 100% and earth shakes... (probably even pilot feels less than those on the ground below him)...

 

[Guest]

It's funny to read this discussion now, because sonic booms were so commonplace when I was a kid growing up in rural Southern VA.
We'd witness several a week back then. Also remember the metal chaff showing up on my grandfather's farm from time to time.

 

[Barneybdb]

Though i agree with pussy factor and nanny rules, nothing beats FEELING of power when burners are set to 100% and earth shakes... (probably even pilot feels less than those on the ground below him)...

Actually the only way you know you have broken the sound barrier is by watching the Machmeter, all the noise is behind you.

 

[Ucsspirit]

As cool as that would be to see, the fact is that in a populated built up area you will never see a supersonic pass. As for a unrestricted climb to say 40k, why? you can see the plane to 10k, but if you can see it and still hear it to 25k you are not human. The best chance of seeing a jet go supersonic is to pull out an FAA Sectional for a rural area and look for military VR/IR routes or MOA's you just might get to see something, if something happens to be flying at that same time you are there. Even then there is a low probability of a supersonic pass. For the most part these guys are speed restricted below 10,000 feet to 250 kts anyway. Not to mention, and high speed pass with an overhead break by a P-51 is still awe inspiring.

 

[no1special]

experienced a sonic boom on the ground once. in the sixties the b-58's "attacked" pittsburgh and we were on the flight path. swore i saw the wall of the house move.

 

[KHOOKS]

Not sure who he is but my grandparents and mom would know. The guy lived down the road from them and flew F4's out of B-ham and Montgomery AL. My mom and grans siad when he'd come home and land at Montgomery he'd fly right over the house and break the sound barrier now this was in the 60's I'd guess. That was to let his people know to get in the car and head to pick him up. Mom talks about the windows rattling in the house when he came over.

 

[Parallax]

A certain F-14 "Aviator" was attending an air show in Michigan. On the way home he decided to give the folks in his hometown, a small community along the West coast of Lake Superior, a show. He called his mom and told her his estimated ETA... almost the entire town turned out along the lake for a look. He discovered that a supersonic pass at ~100 ft above the water had a negative impact on about 20 large windows in the downtown area... causing a shit storm. Grounded for duration of his tour... now teaching 4th grade.

 

[usmc02xx]

seen lots of f18's and a russian mig go supersonic (once) at low altitude, but the one time i really remember well was being a kid (like 5) and had an F4 go supersonic over a lake where my pops took me fishing in ohio. was amazing back then. as a child it was awe striking. In my later years seeing/hearing it usually meant help on the way so it was a different reaction, usually relief. didnt get to enjoy the show so much.

on another note i also remember the base getting calls when pilots would go supersonic by accident. people used to have charts in thier house so they could identify the craft and call base to bitch. Kill Joys.

 

[Ninja]

The Tiger cruise aboard the USS Ranger I was on in '82 had a supersonic fly-by. It was very impressive indeed. Keep on researching ... A check with military aviators would be good.

 

[pmclaine]

Speaking of unauthorized fun, few years ago for a Red Sox game during the flyover one of the pilots decided to barrel roll. As soon as I saw it I thought neat but that cant have been authorized. Sure enough the pilots wings got clipped. I think he was an ANG from New Hampshire. I hope it was worth it for him. Sadly he has the attitude that yeah might get him or someone hurt but at the same time in Combat he could end up with 20 kills. This country is losing its can do, Right Stuff, attitude.

I understand the reason to be such a killjoy but than I note a few years later they held one of those "mysterious" helicopter ops in town and they had Loaches and Blackhawks doing high speed figure eights over the financial district.

 

[45.308]

Its not that impressive, a fast mover and then sound. Whats more impressive is to see an A10 pop up from the horizon, roll over, unleash that 30 and gone. Or a B52 drop 48 iron dummies. That will rattle your chest for a few seconds.

At an air show, good luck as these things have become so restrictive. Not sure how often a jet jockey would go super, burns loads of fuel.

An F4 jockey strafed white sheep years ago, problem was, hunters were stalking the sheep, not good not good at all for him. In the land of kitty litter, had a C130 that kept buzzing by at very low altitude, so we all have to watch, what is this idiot doing. He was flying low level over the female showers. Did the pilot not know his serial number was on the tail for all to see.

 

[rjacobs]

You wont see a sonic boom over a populated area, especially not at an airshow. To much liability these days. You will see passes at maybe .98 or .99. When you can hear very very faint sonic booms as it passes over that is area's on the airplane that, due to how the air flows over various parts actually HAVE gone super sonic(as far as the air is concerned) and you are getting mini sonic booms off of those areas. Those guys are on the ragged edge of banging mach 1 i.e. .999 MACH.

From the guys I know that fly -15's and -18's, it happens out on the various ranges in the desert from time to time when they are trying to get a missile shot off and trying to be in the high .9's and sometimes accidentally bump over it. The airplane tells on them and they have to go explain it. The guys in Florida go off the coast all the time and bang mach.

Had a -16 guy from a guard unit on my jump seat of my airplane once and he said post 9/11 he was on alert and they got a call to go to a major city and "investigate" something and he said the two of them were super most of the way. Its normally an 45-50 minute long flight at .75 mach in an airliner and they did it in about 20 minutes is what he told me.

Sonic booms at 35-40k feet arent that big a deal. Sonic booms at 350-400 feet will blow out car windows, house windows, etc...

 

[Graham]

Supersonic @ an Airshow...

At night, in the desert, there's nothing quite like hearing multiples of departing flights transitioning the sound barrier on their way to a place you know too well.

 

[Unknown]

Although it wasn't a supersonic pass...many years ago a buddy and I were hunting jackrabbits in the very remote areas of S.E. Oregon. We stopped and looked at each other because we sensed something, but hadn't heard or seen anything. Then a pair of jets doing a low level run over the desert where we were hunting came screaming over the top of us from behind at very low altitude. The noise was unbelievable, thunderous, and really cool. Scared the crap out of both of us though. I just can't imagine the powerless feeling if something like that was hunting you.

 

[sqidd]

Some pretty cool shit here

Top 10 Fighter Jets Flyby Low Pass - YouTube

 

[hankpac]

Military demo teams, (Blue Angels and Thunderbirds) routinely do two passes at close to mach. One from behind the audience, a sort of sneak attack, and a pass from right to left or left to right over water, or in high humidity, that causes condensation at the edge of the shock wave. That last one is what makes that shock cone around the craft. None are at true supersonic. Low level rapid passes are risky simply due to the engine possibly swallowing a gull, or pelican. Not good.
When I was growing up at Edwards AFB during the X-15 era, we heard sonic booms 4 or 5 times a day, sometimes more. It always meant that someone was risking his life to push the frontier of flight a little further out.
The air show in San Francisco is free (Fleet Week, Columbus Day weekend), at Aquatic Park, and at least has the Blues, sometimes the Canadian Snow Birds, and most of the time, some Military fly-bys. Of course this year was cancelled due to...

 

[dmg308]

Charter an offshore trip out of VA beach the f18s and 22s out of Oceana dog fight about sixty miles offshore. Cool as crap sonic booms and tons of chaffe quiet a show.

 

[Twitch2120]

last show i went to (3 yrs ago) had twin f-22s do a quick fly by. after climbing to altitude they let super cruise do the work. scared the shit out of me.

 

[ArcticLight]

They are not allowed to go supersonic in US airspace. There are 3 or 4 supersonic places, one being in New Mexico where they train for that. My dad hears the shock waves.

At Seafair though, they will go RIGHT to the point of supersonic as the slow Blue Angel comes by, the fast one sneaks in with the vapor surrounding the canopy.

This is an annual event.

Blue Angels High Speed Low Pass Overhead - Seafair 2009 - YouTube

 

[eli polite]

I saw several supersonic fly buy's as a kid being an air force brat I grew up in New Mexico and Texas now Delaware. The last one was when they flew the sr-71 across the country I was in school and they announced the coming of the sonic boom. after that it seamed like they just stopped doing them

 

[RonboF117]

By-in-large you're not going to see a supersonic pass unless you happen to be in some armpit of the world and the pilot has enough time and fuel for a pass. We love doing it for the troops whenever we can and the ground threat (getting shot) isn't high. Stateside, if you live underneath a military operations area (the other MOA) or restricted area, you have a chance of hearing one. Out to sea under one of the aforementioned areas is a place you may hear one also as there are less noise restrictions the farther you get out to sea.

Going supersonic isn't generally needed for more than a few seconds. In an air defense role when on Alert, it wouldn't be uncommon to go supersonic until you reached your Go Point but as soon as you found out it wasn't real, you'd come out of blower and turn the flight back towards friendly country. In a training role you may go supersonic for a few seconds to get on the other guys turn circle. Once there, you'd bring the power back and lay on the G's or exploit the vertical to get inside his turn circle and get his jet in your WEZ (weapons engagement zone). If you are extending out of a fight, depending on the jet, you would unload to Zero G with the afterburner and accelerate very quickly to either "get out of Dodge" or until you had enough range to turn around and re-engage on better terms. All-in-all, the times you generally need it are not called for that much, so getting a chance to see or hear one is pretty low. And the fighter pilot's favorite answer to everything ... it depends.

 

[sharac]

Actually the only way you know you have broken the sound barrier is by watching the Machmeter, all the noise is behind you.

I meant the power of afterburner which can be felt on the ground several 100 meters away when they ignite. Supersonic shockwave is simply over too fast (in '91 a JLA pilot did over my house towards center of town - fun as hell although news idiots were reporting he bombed the highway -> dropped flares ) but power climb after full burner takeoff is simply amazing to hear and feel. Airforces get probably 90% of all candidates through airshow experiences of kids feeling the power and seeing the grace of these devices.

 

[Victory]

I don't know about supersonic passes, but there is no feeling like having a bird drop over the mountains down below your over watch for a show of force, then climb out directly over you with the afterburners roaring. You smile for a good 10 minutes after that. I can only imagine what it does to the bad guys mindset, I know it always reinforced ours.

 

[aam]

A supersonic shock wave is capable of causing considerable damage. We had an interesting event at the Air Base I was working at many years ago, the base had many glasshouses on one boundary supposedly growing tomatoes. One of our pilots made an "inadvertent" supersonic pass over the base and shattered thousands of glass panels. Strangely, no insurance claims were made. An investigation revealed the crops were actually marijuana. The pilot was still reprimanded.

If I remember rightly, one of those events happened in the early 80's, maybe 83. He did two passes at supersonic. I heard one boom then another 2min later. Edinburgh RAAF base.

 

[Barneybdb]

I believe there was one of those events about 83, the one I witnessed was about 78 and yes, it was Edinburgh. I was at the Aircraft Research and Development Unit from 74 to 79 and again from 90 to 98. The aircraft involved was a Mirage 111 0. We also got to experience a whole bunch of afterburners up real close in about 78, a group of us were sitting on the roof of the ARDU hangar watching an air display when a group of F111's did a high speed low pass from behind us, they popped up over the hangar then dropped down over the crowd. The jetwash almost blew us off the roof.