When you love aircraft and you have a chance to see them in person, you take it! That`s what these people realized before they came to the beach to watch this FA-18 flyby. The FA-18 is one of the most modern aircraft in the world and with that, of course it`s capable of breaching the sound barrier. This video demonstrates how that would approximately look, since the airplane is not exactly going supersonic, just transonic, which means that it`s very close to the sound barrier but hasn`t actually crossed it yet. The thing is, the military has strict rules about breaking the sound barrier over land.
However, that didn`t stop this sonic boom that amazed all onlookers on the beach! This FA-18 flyby is not only rare to see, it`s also incredibly rare to feel – the noise, vibration and shock that the boom lets out are a once in a lifetime experience and very few people get to see it. If the pilot had actually broken the sound barrier right then, a lot of eardrums would be shattered and it would be a PR nightmare for the military, but this way everyone got their well-deserved fun!
Still wondering how sonic boom is produced? This article has the answer!
