Typhoon breaks sound barrier over Shropshire
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We used to drive the armour back from Salisbury Plain at silly times, and if you got the revs just right and hammered down a gear at the same time, you'd get sheets of flame from the exhaust 3 feet long and a bark that made the High Street of Devizes sound like the end of the Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans. We really had to concentrate to make sure that we didn't go wrong at the roundabout, because if we did, we would invariably find ourselves having to go through town again. And we used to get really cross sometimes at our own poor navigation skills. As young rockapes, we were always acutely aware of the need to place the wishes and comfort of the civilian population over our own desire to have fun.
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As a Shropshire resident, I was away yesterday and am deeply disappointed I didn't see a real aircraft in LFA9 for once. The problem with this part of the world is that you never see military fast jets at low level. If Flt Lt I M Hero ended-up at a few hundred feet over Haughmond Hill (otherwise known as the Poo Pile due to the large dog walking fraternity who utilise the facilities) then I'm not surprised Joe Public noticed it.
Thread Starter
"In a statement, the RAF said: "We regret any anxiety this incident may have caused to the local population."
In a statement, the RAF should have said: "And? We value the lives of our employees far more than a bunch of crass, over sensitive lilly livered shoppers who, a generation or so ago, would have thrilled to the very idea of hearing the sound of the sound barrier being broken instead of running off to see if they could make a claim for stress. Frankly, we don't care if they thought the world was about to end - we have a job to do and we're getting on with it. We will not apologise for the laws of physics and for preserving the safety of our aircrews, so you can all just off and either return to your lattes or go and change your hemp underwear, you poor mites. In fact, we've just decided. We liked doing it so much that we're going to do it again next week too."
Hmm. Although some of the people mentioned in the various reports of this incident will inveitibly be morons, I don't see anything about any of them complaining.
Confused, yes. Complaining, no.
In a statement, the RAF should have said: "And? We value the lives of our employees far more than a bunch of crass, over sensitive lilly livered shoppers who, a generation or so ago, would have thrilled to the very idea of hearing the sound of the sound barrier being broken instead of running off to see if they could make a claim for stress. Frankly, we don't care if they thought the world was about to end - we have a job to do and we're getting on with it. We will not apologise for the laws of physics and for preserving the safety of our aircrews, so you can all just off and either return to your lattes or go and change your hemp underwear, you poor mites. In fact, we've just decided. We liked doing it so much that we're going to do it again next week too."
Hmm. Although some of the people mentioned in the various reports of this incident will inveitibly be morons, I don't see anything about any of them complaining.
Confused, yes. Complaining, no.
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Yep, I heard it in the office just to the NW of Shrewsbury. A bit of a non-event really - I though that an empty truck had gone over the speed bump outside my window. No truck to be seen, so looked towards the airfield - no smoke and nobody running around - must have been thunder.
It wasn't until I got in the car to drive home that I heard the story. Radio Shropshire called the earthquake people (yes we do get a few here!) who said that there had been an event at the weekend, but were disappointed that nobody noticed. Then they call the police and fire who said "what explosion". Finally they called Shawbury!
I'm sure that this is just part of the ongoing PR plot for Typhoon, just like "Give the Russians a call and see it they would like to join us in a little air-to-air photo sortie, a Bear would be ideal"
"Biggles, pop over to the Welsh coast and drop a sonic boom on the way back, somewhere over Shawbury would be good"
It wasn't until I got in the car to drive home that I heard the story. Radio Shropshire called the earthquake people (yes we do get a few here!) who said that there had been an event at the weekend, but were disappointed that nobody noticed. Then they call the police and fire who said "what explosion". Finally they called Shawbury!
I'm sure that this is just part of the ongoing PR plot for Typhoon, just like "Give the Russians a call and see it they would like to join us in a little air-to-air photo sortie, a Bear would be ideal"
"Biggles, pop over to the Welsh coast and drop a sonic boom on the way back, somewhere over Shawbury would be good"
Thread Starter
spectre150
Radio One reported it because of the sonic boom, which is newsworthy. They went on to talk about the systems failure afterwards.
You can download and listen to it again.
Radio One reported it because of the sonic boom, which is newsworthy. They went on to talk about the systems failure afterwards.
You can download and listen to it again.
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We liked doing it so much that we're going to do it again next week too.
Can you change location a little and make it over Shobdon on Monday? 
I haven't seen anything really fast and noisy over there for a while. As a child growing up in Liverpool I used to hear quite a few sonic booms.
What exactly is the !@#$ing problem?
Did anybody's windows break?
So long as they don't do it fifty feet over my head (I value my ability to hear) what's the big deal?
What are the limitations on this, anyway?
Did anybody's windows break?
So long as they don't do it fifty feet over my head (I value my ability to hear) what's the big deal?
What are the limitations on this, anyway?
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the limitation is that they are not allowed to break the sound barrier (where it can be avoided) and cause a sonic boom over populated places and where possible they should only do it out at sea
if I recall correctly
if I recall correctly
Thread Starter
There is no problem.
Absolutely nobody has complained.
Some people were worried, some were concerned and some were confused, which is fair enough. It was clearly loud, it was definitely out of the ordinary and it made people jump.
But if you watch, read and listen to the various news stories on the incident, nobody complained. The RAF even said they didn't receive complaints. They received enquiries, but not complaints.
Calm down, dears. You'll wet yourselves if you're not careful.
Absolutely nobody has complained.
Some people were worried, some were concerned and some were confused, which is fair enough. It was clearly loud, it was definitely out of the ordinary and it made people jump.
But if you watch, read and listen to the various news stories on the incident, nobody complained. The RAF even said they didn't receive complaints. They received enquiries, but not complaints.
Calm down, dears. You'll wet yourselves if you're not careful.
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Absolutely nobody has complained.
Do it everyday and watch the switchboard light up like Blackpool illuminations. It was loud, and it did make windows shake, and people did not like it an iota.
FWIW, I fail to see why even an emergency descent should have gone supersonic, unless of course there was a Pilot runaway up.
Very few people these days will ever have heard a supersonic bang. Yes, they were commonplace years ago - I have a 1954 RAF Merryfield 'At Home' programme which included in the flying programme 'Breaking the sound barrier by a Sabre of Fighter Command', fo example.
But a loud, unexplained bang in these days of lunatic suicide bombers - of course people will be concerned.
When did you last hear a supersonic bang? The last time I did was back in the late 60s / early 70s when an 892 Sqn Phantom dropped one over Somerset!
But a loud, unexplained bang in these days of lunatic suicide bombers - of course people will be concerned.
When did you last hear a supersonic bang? The last time I did was back in the late 60s / early 70s when an 892 Sqn Phantom dropped one over Somerset!
Being on the receiving end of a boom can be quite a startling event and we are not talking about a gentle rattling of the windows, by Concorde going up the English/Bristol Channel. I remember a certain Phantom dropping one on me in the early 90s and we all thought he had hit the mast. There is a tremendous amount of energy in a boom and it makes me think that some of the posters on here, who are saying "what's the fooking problem" have never actually experienced one.
Cheersnow!
Cheersnow!
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
I can't understand, there should be hundreds of dead cows/sheep/horses; broken windows/vases/plates by now.
There always were after someone dropped one on East Anglia/Lincolnshire/Yorkshire/Northumberland in the 80s/90s.....
There always were after someone dropped one on East Anglia/Lincolnshire/Yorkshire/Northumberland in the 80s/90s.....
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they are not allowed to break the sound barrier (where it can be avoided) and cause a sonic boom over populated places
I can't understand, there should be hundreds of dead cows/sheep/horses; broken windows/vases/plates by now.
There always were after someone dropped one on East Anglia/Lincolnshire/Yorkshire/Northumberland in the 80s/90s.....
There always were after someone dropped one on East Anglia/Lincolnshire/Yorkshire/Northumberland in the 80s/90s.....
Don't forget, the boom provided and excellent science lesson opportunity.