Graters

If a pilot is flying a the speed of sound and causes a sonic boom, does the pilot hear the boom?

If the answer is yes, how does the sound catch up with the craft flying at the same or grater speed?

Public Comments

1. no its behind him he feels a big shake though ps for future refrence dont call the pilot a he women pilots hate that
2. That's what happens when an object breaks the sound barrier (goes faster than the speed of sound) V (speed of sound)=331.4+0.6Tc m/s (Tc is the temperature Celsius) with that equation you can calculate the speed of sound and you are right the pilot can not hear the boom because he is traveling at a greater speed so the sound can not catch up
3. the pilot will not hear the sonic boom,however he or she will feel the space adjustment much like an air pocket dip or jolt.
4. no, it is a non event for the most part. there is no boom for him cause he is inside. and he is not moving supersonic thru the air in cabin. The boom is what you hear as the pressure wave created from the nose and tail of the aircraft: passes you on the ground.
5. The only way the pilot knows that he / she is going past the speed of sound is to look a the airspeed indicator or mach gauge, it is very anticlimatic no boom no tump no nothing :(