Sonic Boom

[tiggerblue10]

Don't know about 4.20am this morning but on Thursday or Friday evening (can't remember), I heard what sounded like Concorde flying past. The booming noise went on for about 30 seconds before fading. I looked out and couldn't see anything as it was cloudy but my windows were vibrating.

Could it have been the same thing? It was definitely louder than the usual plane noises.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-50618956

[naomi24]

From your link.

//The noise was generated by two Royal Air Force Typhoons, which launched from Coningsby in Lincolnshire and intercepted an unresponsive aircraft.//

[bhg481]

Yes, it was a sonic boom. A couple of RAF typhoons sent to intercept an airliner failing to answer a call. No problem at the end of the day.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-50618956

[shoota]

It tells you in the link Tigs. 2 RAF jets went supersonic to intercept an 'unresponsive' aircraft.

[shoota]

Ah I get it now - you are asking about a similar noise earlier in the week - sorry.

[tiggerblue10]

Ok, I thought this happened early this morning. The noise I heard was either Thursday or Friday evening. Or am I misunderstanding the time and date this happened - 4.20 1 Dec.

[tiggerblue10]

No worries Shoota. I was pretty sparked out last night so didn't hear anything.

[shoota]

Sometimes those stupidly large lumbering jets can take a lifetime to clear the area, especially if they are climbing following takeoff. Are you near an airport?

[tiggerblue10]

Nearest is Gatwick which is around 20 miles from me.

[shoota]

With a sonic boom, although you do hear jet noise, there is a definite bang which sounds like an explosion but is momentary, lasting only a second or two. I often get the French air force going supersonic over my house on practice flights so if you heard the noise for 30 seconds fading away I would suspect some kind of heavy commercial jet - I get those all the time when in England as I am about 2 miles from the Heathrow runway.

[tiggerblue10]

Crikey, that's very close Shoota!

Maybe it was a commercial jet then.

I get loads of helicopters flying around my area and the noise goes on for ages :o(

[shoota]

'Crikey, that's very close Shoota!'
One of the reasons I clear off to rural France at every possible opportunity... :-)

[tiggerblue10]

Don't blame you!

[New Judge]

You should bear in mind that a sonic boom is a continuous event which occurs to each observer on the ground as a one off "boom". If you had a series of people under the aircraft's flight path at, say, a mile apart they would each report hearing the boom consecutively as the pressure wave built up by the aircraft reached them. The boom is created by what could be called the "bow wave" from the front of the aircraft. The only people within the aircraft's vicinity who do not hear it are those in the aircraft itself. I can confirm that as I have travelled supersonically.

[ummmm]

I've only heard one once. I thought a bomb had gone off. Facebook was covered with 'did anyone hear that' 'What was that' type of comments.

[emmie]

i didn't hear anything, but the roar of a giant helicopter came and went last night, I think it must have been
President Trump's as he has just landed for the NATO talks.

[Theland]

"Oh darling, did you feel the earth move like me?"

[woofgang]

When I was at school in London, sonic boom tests were being done over the capital prior to Concorde going into service. I think they used RAF jets. I can confirm that its one boom that observers in the same place hear.

[bhg481]

Woofie - yes, they used lightnings. They flew them from Boscombe Down, where I was working at the time. We'd see a lightning go off just before noon and come back minutes later; the day after there would be reports in the papers of a sonic boom over London at noon.

[woofgang]

I really wish I had flown on Concorde.

[calmck]

Concorde it was a wonderful experience!!