Did you hear something around noon today? An aircraft out of NAS Patuxent River was identified as going supersonic above 30,000 feet at the time of the loud boom heard on Thursday, December 29, 2022. NAS Pax River Air Operations confirmed that the flight was authorized. NAS PAX flight test squadrons conduct several types of supersonic operations in military restricted airspace over the Chesapeake Bay. The aircraft must stay close to shore so that tracking stations along the Bay Shore can record the operation through high-powered cameras. Although most sonic booms generated in this area are never felt or heard on land, due to weather conditions or the details of the flight, occasionally a sonic boom will be felt or heard on land. More information about supersonic flight testing at Pax can be read below. What is a Sonic Boom? A sonic boom sounds like a sharp crack of thunder. It occurs when an aircraft moves faster than its own sound waves, also known as pressure waves. Why does NAS Patuxent River conduct supersonic operations? Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River (PAX) is the U.S. Navy’s headquarters for the research, development, test and evaluation of all Navy aircraft, aircraft components […]
The post Loud “Boom” Heard Across St. Mary’s and Calvert Caused by NAS Patuxent River Supersonic Flight Test appeared first on Southern Maryland News Net.
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