Friday, March 04, 2016

Did anyone hear a big BOOM!! tonight at about 9 o'clock?  It brought both of us to our feet.  We thought something must have exploded, but we looked in all directions and saw nothing unusual.  There was a lot of air traffic, however, and we're thinking it was likely a sonic boom.  Even though We reported it, and apparently other people heard it and reported it to police as well; but we've no clue as to what it was yet.  I went out onto our deck to see if I could hear or see anything unusual, but other than the air traffic, a couple of helicopters and some jets very high, the sky was beautiful, clear and boy, was it cold out there.  About 10 above zero at the time.  We turned on the scanner, but there was absolutely nothing happening there.  At least we're pretty sure our neighbors are all ok, and perhaps there will be more about whatever we heard later on.

I had forgotten until Jamie mentioned it tonight, but supersonic planes were banned from flying over United States because of the booms when they exceeded the speed of sound.  I Googled it, and found it was in 1973.  No wonder the young police office we spoke with was confused when we said we thought it was a sonic boom.  He likely wasn't even born then.  Military planes are allowed to fly at whatever speed is necessary on occasion, but for the most part, sonic booms are supposed to be a thing of the past.  Except for possibly tonight some rogue pilot got frisky, I bet.  Was that you, Bugs?

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