FAA bans Thunderbirds to fly supersonic at Airventure

[FenderManDan]

The Oshkosh performance was semi lame comparing the past Thunderbirds shows. I mean there were a few fantastic manoeuvres, but most of the show was repetitive and for a while they were gone for a quite a bit long time to reset the formation.
Also, the rumour has it that FAA will ban all supersonic flying from the airshows. Those Snowbirds tutors look fine now ))

[North Shore]

I am quite open to being corrected, but I'm pretty sure that supersonic flight has been 'streng verboten' at air shows since the beginning. What many of us perceive as 'supersonic' is just a high speed subsonic pass...

[Pop n Fresh]

I could not find the discussion about broken windows in Kelowna or where ever but the search found this gem.

http://www.avcanada.ca/forums2/viewtopi ... en+windows

[Colonel Sanders]

I'm pretty sure that supersonic flight has been 'streng verboten' at air shows since the beginning

If memory serves, sonic booms (resulting from
supersonic flight) were common events in the
USA in the 1950's (including at airshows). Some
time after that, the FAA banned supersonic flight
over the 48 states.

A very long time (over 50 years) ago, a USAF F-104
dropped a sonic boom at an airshow in Ottawa and
blew the windows out of the "new" tower during a
low pass.

About 20 years ago, I was driving down a road in
Nepean, a burb west of Ottawa, when a departing
F-18 dropped a sonic boom. Babies cried. Dogs
howled. Cats meowed. Women screamed. I smiled.

Even though the gov't sternly disapproves, meteors
will (and even the space shuttle used to) drop sonic
booms.

A very very long time (over 60 years) ago, when my
father was bored, he would dive vertically over Moncton
in a Sabre and see if he could get it to go supersonic.
Sometimes it would.

History note: a guy called George Welch went supersonic
in a Sabre in a dive, before . Yeager did it. This was
never publicized because of the enormous money being
spent on the XS-1.

[PilotDAR]

As a young person, I was canoeing in northern Ontario. A USAF F-104 was out playing around (as the B-52's also did). I think we were the ideal target for a supersonic run down the center of a lake we had foolishly chosen to paddle. Needless to say, we did not hear the approach form behind, but the pressure change and shock wave as he passed over was unpleasant. But being kids, we thought it was cool anyway. The experience left me understanding why some people might not want to experience it.

My understanding is that supersonic flight is prohibited over the continent (I guess other than a few MOA's), and perhaps not exemption was provided for the airshow.

If aerial demonstrations are flown at those speeds, you don't get to see the planes for as long!

[cdnpilot77]

A German F4 pilot got his wrists slapped in the mid 90's for breaking windows all around London after a supersonic pass on his arrival at CYXU. It happens!

[FenderManDan]

A German F4 pilot got his wrists slapped in the mid 90's for breaking windows all around London after a supersonic pass on his arrival at CYXU. It happens!

So I guess goodness happens . Seriously, I didn't know that supersonic flight is forbidden. I grew up approx 5NM from the threshold of RWY12 airbase where MIG 21s and later 29s were doing supersonic regularly. It was a favourite feature in the crowds watching the annual airshow.

If aerial demonstrations are flown at those speeds, you don't get to see the planes for as long!

Don't get me wrong, I did not expect just to see jets busting the sound barrier for 15 min. Thunderbird solo 1 had a very nice "slow flight" demo and I thought solo 2 would firewall it as the exact opposite. At least one pass would do. The formation was nice and tight for the most part, but there were only four jets and not the type of show the Snowbirds can do.

I guess it was a good "adver..." ahem... morale boost for the neighbours down South.

[Colonel Sanders]

Lots of speed limits.

CAR 602.33 - "No person shall operate an aircraft at a true Mach number of 1 or greater."

CAR 602.32 - "no person shall (a) operate an aircraft at an indicated airspeed of more than 250 knots if the aircraft is below 10,000 feet ASL; or (b) operate an aircraft at an indicated airspeed of more than 200 knots if the aircraft is below 3,000 feet AGL within 10 nautical miles of a controlled aerodrome "

Never been yelled at for the first, but my friends
and I tangle with the second. I can't even enter
a loop at less than 320 knots.

See also FAR 91.817.

FAA also has 250/200 knot rules at low altitude, which
a friend of mine went to court (and won) over his operation
of a MiG-23.

[cgzro]

Did not think the military was bound by the CARS/FARS/ICAS etc.

[cgzro]

Never been yelled at for the first, ...

Ah but you still have ~30 years of flying ahead of you...:)

[Colonel Sanders]

You're probably right. I've been thinking
about a nice later-model MiG-21.

[iflyforpie]

Did not think the military was bound by the CARS/FARS/ICAS etc.

They aren't..... however, when flying in civilian airspace under most circumstances their rules are the same.

A discussion related to me by a former Hornet driver:

CENTER: Top Gun 05.... say current Mach.

HORNET: Mach 0.98.

CENTER: What was your Mach 30 seconds ago?

HORNET: Ahh....... a little higher than 0.98.

[Cessna driver]

Did not think the military was bound by the CARS/FARS/ICAS etc.

Under normal circumstances they are supposed to follow them, unless its war basically