On April 13th, during a practice flight before a weekend air show, a member of the Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team went supersonic over Tucson. \u00a0The sonic boom frightened people and broke a lot of windows. \u00a0Going supersonic over populated areas is a huge USAF “be no” (as in “there shall be no …”) and I don’t doubt the offending pilot is in a heap of trouble, temporarily grounded and quite possibly no longer a Thunderbird. \u00a0In my day, it was a one-mistake Air Force for anyone on the leadership track, as Thunderbird pilots always are … I doubt that’s changed.<\/p>\n
FAA and military regulations prohibit supersonic flight outside of\u00a0certain designated areas over the oceans or unpopulated sections of land. \u00a0USAF pilots are supposed to mind their speed; Thunderbird pilots, who are exemplars of professionalism (and closely watched by Air Force leadership to make sure they stay that way), are supposed to be perfect. \u00a0Perfect in this case means pushing the Mach during high speed runs but never exceeding it, and yes, there are cockpit and head up display indicators to tell you exactly how fast you’re going. \u00a0Busting the mach at low altitude over a city is a mortal sin, as inexcusable as bending a wingtip during a taxi accident.<\/p>\n
But I’m here to tell you it’s awfully easy to go supersonic when you’re pushing the Mach. \u00a0A little turbulence, a sudden drop in air temperature, a momentary distraction, a second’s inattention, and you’ll go from .97 to 1.0 almost instantly. \u00a0And there’s no taking it back. \u00a0I feel for that pilot. \u00a0Any fast-mover would, because we’ve all done it.<\/p>\n