As a kid growing up in SE Idaho, sonic booms were pretty much a daily occurrence. This would have been in the mid to late 70's. Some of them might have come from the SR-71...I don't know. It wasn't uncommon to hear a half dozen or more in a day. Mountain Home AFB was pretty close, as was Travis AFB.

I don't think I've heard a sonic boom since I hit puberty, at which point I pretty much quit paying attention. Any idea what happened and why? (Sonic booms, not puberty...)

I remember that too, and the fighters flying through the valleys close to supersonic.

Now that you mention it I remember hearing them too growing up in East Idaho but I haven't heard a single one since I moved back in 2009.

We was going 1.7 over northern minnesota in about 1988 at 40,000. (Supposed to be above 30,000 for supersonic) we got enough complaints to restrict it to over lake superior after that. Noise sensitivity stopped it over any populations. Bummer.

Didn't you guys hear, "they" placed a network of chemtrails that absorbs the sound so magic christmas dust can be sprinkled on the turkeys.

Just have to be in the right places.

Me: Cowboy Control 28M is 40nm S of MTN AFB, low level maneuvering.
CC: 28M Owyhee North will be active with fighters in your area in 10 minutes. What altitude are you at?
Me; Below 200' agl.
CC: Standby, very long pause.
CC: 28M stay below 2,000' agl; F-16s will be dog fighting overhead, no factor at your altitude.
Me: Roger, always enjoy a good show.

Ten minutes later I was on the ground waiting for the show to start. I couldn't see them but definitely heard them. Lots of booms and burners! Great fun to listen to!

maules.com wrote:Didn't you guys hear, "they" placed a network of chemtrails that absorbs the sound so magic christmas dust can be sprinkled on the turkeys.

Thanks for clearing that up, Jeremy

MTV

Its already been mentioned, but two words: "noise sensitivity."

At Patuxent River we could only go supersonic over the bay. They heavily preferred (ahem.) that we went to the south towards the mouth of the bay in order to keep the noise predominantly over the water.

Cam,

I haven't asked because I know you would have to kill me if you told, but I have wondered what a perfectly well trained Army helicopter pilot was doing with those Navy zoomies?

Jim

About 15 years ago I had landed at Copper Basin, coming in over the pass from Antelope, and was on the ground 30 minutes when all of a sudden a F-16 (pretty sure)came zipping into the Basin right over the same pass and like me, just a couple hundred feet over it. He made a circuit of the entire Basin in no time flat and then exited the area the same way he entered. Another time near Gilmore (ghost town) one made a low pass. I like to think it was the same guy, maybe a local who made the big time. I love seeing those things cutting loose in the boonies

As a kid I remember them coming out of Klamith Falls and ripping through Scott Valley , and later in my teens logging throughout Northern California they would always seem to find a logging operation on a ridge top and scare the crap out of everyone. Good times. Don't see that anymore. Not even up here with the F-22s. They are way up high doing their thing..

Well for one thing population growth has exploded all over the continent, and so has the nany panies and political correctness and not in my backyarders. We can't offend anyone, and making big boomies make the babies cry, and Im not talk'in about the infants. It just ain't gonna happen anymore, Beside in the old days, innovations in new aircraft design and performance was still strong. Now governments are broke from spending your money like drunken and drugged up sailors on a non stop hooker, drug and booze binge. It's the new world disorder.

contactflying wrote:Cam,

I haven't asked because I know you would have to kill me if you told, but I have wondered what a perfectly well trained Army helicopter pilot was doing with those Navy zoomies?

Jim

He's in the zoom reserves.

CamTom12 wrote:Its already been mentioned, but two words: "noise sensitivity."

At Patuxent River we could only go supersonic over the bay. They heavily preferred (ahem.) that we went to the south towards the mouth of the bay in order to keep the noise predominantly over the water.

I grew up next to Vandenberg AFB and had one shake the house in the wee hours of the morning "BOOM, BOOM"! We were pretty use to loud interuptions though with all of the rocket launches that took place there.

In my adult life about 15 years ago I was working at the airport when I started getting several calls from people throughout the area wondering what the loud noise was this late at night. I hadn't heard it but was currious so I called Seattle Center who sheepishly indicated there might have been a sonic boom in the area. Poor jock probably had a word from his commander when he got back

CW

contactflying wrote:Cam,

I haven't asked because I know you would have to kill me if you told, but I have wondered what a perfectly well trained Army helicopter pilot was doing with those Navy zoomies?

Jim

Making this mediocre trained army pilot jealous.

contactflying wrote:Cam,

I haven't asked because I know you would have to kill me if you told, but I have wondered what a perfectly well trained Army helicopter pilot was doing with those Navy zoomies?

Jim

Hahaha, not a secret here Jim!

The Army doesn't have a "true" test pilot school (the MTP course is purely maintenance focused), so we've got an arrangement with the Navy. Met a lot of great people there from all services!

Cam,

What happened to Army Aviation Officer Maintenance Course or AAMOC? I like cross pollination anyway. Better food and facilities.

Jim

Got to hear one a couple weeks ago up close... BOOM BOOM Yay!

contactflying wrote:Cam,

What happened to Army Aviation Officer Maintenance Course or AAMOC? I like cross pollination anyway. Better food and facilities.

Jim

AMOC still exists. I took that in 2010 with the KW MTP course. These days (not sure if it always was), AMOC is for managing squadron / battalion maintenance programs and the MTP courses teach airframe systems in depth (for troubleshooting) and how to diagnose during maintenance test flights. Very platform specific stuff.

The naval test pilot school teaches the theory and techniques of aircraft and systems (avionics, weapons, etc.) test and evaluation for new asset acquisition.

BRD wrote:Got to hear one a couple weeks ago up close... BOOM BOOM Yay!

That's friggin sweet!!

Cam,
I figured it out. AAMOC became MTP. Yes, has always been maintenance oriented. I spent two years at 1107th AACRAD as the Cobra Test Pilot. There was only one Cobra in Missouri at that time and it never came in for depot level maintenance. They would have sent me to AAMOC, so when a chance came to go back to NMARNG I jumped in it.
Jim