I just heard something terrifying. A missile, or a rocket, or a fighter jet....but

LOW overhead...and louder than anything I have ever heard in our skies before. It got increasingly loud as it broke the sound barrier...but not stopping for quite a long time. It sounded as though it was moving north to south...makes no sense...but incredibly frighteningly loud.

I should add that the sound went on and on and on. It kept getting louder...in the most terrifying way. It rumbled and almost seemed to shake the air around my building.

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carpediem · 61-69, M

Someone probably complained about a drag queen showing his junk to a group of 6 year old kids in a grammar school event and the jet is racing to that location to take out the complainer.

Heartlander · 80-89, M

It's usually a popping sound when it breaks the sound barrier. Could it be an over enthusiastic jet jock unaware of the consequences?

If the roar is more prolonged, it's more likely a helicopter.

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4meAndyou · F

@Heartlander Nothing shook. I've seen movies where jets breaking sound barriers actually shook houses on their foundations, and rattled the glass in the china cabinets.

Heartlander · 80-89, M

@4meAndyou A hundred years ago we lived in an apartment near the Lewis & Clark lookout point, and south departing jets from the old municipal airport would be at window level as terrain rose as fast as heavy jets could climb. And the valley below us over the river locked in the roar to a deafening level.

4meAndyou · F

@Heartlander Only for about 10 seconds could I have called the noise "deafening".

cherokeepatti · 61-69, F

Military is very active lately. It may have broken the sound barrier. I live about 20 miles from an AFB and in the path of their landings and takeoffs and it’s happened a couple times not too long ago.

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cherokeepatti · 61-69, F

@Heartlander yes

cherokeepatti · 61-69, F

@Heartlander We get a lot of AWACS flying over, they send them to Tinker for maintenance. I drove home from work once and got in my driveway. Heard a loud screeching sound that I hadn’t heard before. I parked close to my door but got out quickly and before I got the door unlocked smelled the exhaust. There was no wind that day and some of it drifted down. Hadn’t smelled it like that before or since

Heartlander · 80-89, M

@cherokeepatti Those older 707s/KC135s also had something called water injected takeoffs that boosted power for takeoff, also boosted the noise level. I believe those airplanes held full takeoff power, and the water injection, until accelerating to climb speed which took a while. Old jet airplanes were slow to accelerate, took lots of runway and made lots of noise before reaching climb speeds. It wasn't til the big fan-jet engines replaced the older engine.

Even old fighter jets had issues with acceleration. Like the old F84 was referred to as the "hog" or the "lead sled" and burned up 2 miles of runway just to get airborne.

AWACS are at the edges of electronic warfare, and probably constantly being upgraded. Also super heavy on take-off because they have to stay airborne so long.

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BizSuitStacy · M

Hmmm. A few years ago, I was at the airport in San Diego. Flight was delayed and I was sitting at the gate just waiting. Suddenly, we heard a fighter jet scramble overhead. Then like 5 or 6 more. Everyone kind of starts looking at each other, eyes wide open with that "WTF is going on" look on our faces. Never heard anything about it. May have just been a military exercise.

SW-User

Did it feel like your ears were reaching the threshold of hearing?

4meAndyou · F

@SW-User Not quite like that. The rumbling was extremely loud and VERY deep, and kept getting louder and deeper. And then, like a passing freight train, the noise gradually moved south. I thought it was the end...that we were under missile attack.

SW-User

@4meAndyou well I'm glad that is not reality, but I'm constantly watching. We are living in a very scary time but that aside, what do you imagine that was which you heard?