Breaking the Sound Barrier - again

A new bill could lift the outdated ban on supersonic flight over land, unlocking the future of fast and quiet travel.

For over 50 years, the United States has imposed a speed limit in the skies: a federal ban that prohibits civilian aircraft from exceeding the speed of sound over land. The primary concern? Sonic booms, which are loud shockwaves generated when planes break the sound barrier.

However, many people are unaware that modern aircraft can travel faster than the speed of sound without producing a disruptive boom on the ground.

Regulations need to evolve to keep pace with these developments. Key lawmakers in Washington, DC, are currently taking action to address this issue.

On May 14, 2025, bicameral legislation was introduced that seeks to repeal the current regulation (FAA 14 CFR 91.817) banning civil supersonic flight over land. Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) introduced the bill in the Senate, cosponsored by Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Mike Lee (R-UT) and Tim Sheehy (R-MT), and on the House side, Aviation Subcommittee Chair Troy Nehls (R-TX) introduced the bill cosponsored by Representative Sharice Davids (D-KS).

This legislation, known as the Supersonic Aviation Modernization Act (SAM), calls on the FAA to update the blanket ban on civil supersonic flight over land, provided the aircraft doesn’t produce an audible sonic boom at ground level.

In other words, if you can safely go fast without making any disruptive noise, you should be allowed to fly at supersonic speed.

The ban has not only resulted in agonizingly slow commercial flights but has also stifled innovation in the American aviation industry. The ban’s knock-on effects are far-reaching. The US has always been the global leader in aerospace innovation, just not when it comes to commercial aircraft speed. Countries like China are investing in advanced high-speed aircraft, and it’s time for the US to do the same or be left behind. A tired rule stands in the way.

Flying faster, quietly, with Boomless Cruise

Since the ban was first imposed in 1973, the aviation industry has undergone a revolution. Advances in aerodynamics, propulsion, and materials science provide the technology to make flights faster and quieter but also more fuel-efficient, safer, and more sustainable.

Supersonic travel today is no longer synonymous with noise; instead, supersonic embodies breakthrough efficiency, precision engineering, and remarkably reduced travel times.

Source: Pennsylvania State University Acoustical Model of Mach Cutoff Flight

Earlier this year, Boom’s demonstrator aircraft, XB-1, successfully broke the sound barrier six times without generating an audible boom on the ground. This achievement is attributed to a well-established principle in physics known as Mach cutoff, which causes a sonic boom’s shockwaves to dissipate their energy before reaching the surface. As a result, the US now has the lead in the supersonic race with the only flying civil supersonic aircraft.

Boom refers to this innovative concept as Boomless Cruise, a mode that allows for supersonic flight without the disruptive sonic boom. It’s not just theoretical; it’s a tangible reality. The company will use it to fly Overture at supersonic speeds over land.

BlueSky Business Aviation News | 5th June 2025 | Issue #798

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