Supersonic flight is making a comeback decades after the Concorde. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed new rules to allow for faster-than-sound travel over land, which could cut travel time in half. However, one major hurdle remains: the issue of sonic booms.
Sonic Booms: A Major Hurdle
In the 1960s, the FAA conducted a test in Oklahoma City to gauge the public’s attitude toward supersonic flight. The test involved 1,253 sonic booms, which were part of an effort to assess the impact of supersonic flight on the community. The test was met with opposition, and Congress eventually canceled funding for Boeing’s proposed supersonic aircraft, the 2707.
The Concorde, which was the only commercial supersonic airliner, flew from 1976 to 2003. However, it was only allowed to fly over water, due to the issue of sonic booms. The FAA effectively banned civilian supersonic flight over land in the US in 1973, by prohibiting civil aircraft from flying faster than Mach 1, or the sound barrier.
New Era of Supersonic Flight
Now, some 50 years on from the ban, a new era of supersonic flight seems within reach. The FAA has proposed new rules that would allow for supersonic flight over land, with a focus on reducing the impact of sonic booms. The proposed rules include switching from a speed-based to a noise-based standard and repealing the 1973 prohibition.
According to Juan Alonso, a professor at Stanford University, the new rules are a welcome development. “It’s a long time in coming,” he said. “I think it’s a welcome legislation, and I would say NASA and the US industry have been pushing in this direction for a very long time.”
Two approaches are being explored to reduce the impact of sonic booms: Boom Supersonic’s Mach cutoff technique, which uses physics to prevent sonic booms from reaching the ground, and NASA’s X-59 aircraft, which is designed to reduce the intensity of the boom.
The success or failure of these approaches could determine how fast supersonic travel can return, without the noise complaints that grounded it decades ago. The FAA is aiming to finalize the new standards by mid-2027.
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
