NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center will be conducting a series of research flights on Thursday morning, June 11, 2009, that could result in multiple sonic booms being heard in the local area.
Portions of the flights, being flown by NASA F/A-18 aircraft in restricted airspace over Edwards Air Force Base, would be at supersonic speeds. Up to a dozen sonic booms that may be generated would occur roughly between 8 and 8:30 a.m. Loudness of the booms will vary, and depend greatly on local atmospheric conditions at the time of the flights.
These flights are preliminary calibration flights for an upcoming NASA study scheduled for September that is part of a continuing NASA-led effort to reduce the intensity of sonic booms.
Friday, June 12 is a backup flight date if the flights cannot be completed on June 11.
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Dryden Flight Research Center
P.O. Box 273
Edwards, California 93523
Phone 661-276-3449
FAX 661-276-3566
Gray Creech
NASA Dryden Flight Research Center
661-276-2662
gray.creech@nasa.gov