Compensation for Sonic Boom

[A signaller]

More liable to be the Ospreys that seem to be on exercise at the moment at all types of daft o clock.

Never seen any about around here, plenty of Chinooks and Merlin's, the JCB copter, the flying ambulance, as we are only minutes air time away from Cosford, plod, and the electric company one.

 

[Moderator]

They do go supersonic by accident, even then, I’m not sure I think compensation should be paid.

How do you prove any damage was caused by the boom? It it was capable of shaking some tiles off your roof I would suggest you should better maintain your property.

Really must maintain the panes of glass better eh?

Sonic booms: Who foots the bill when buildings go bang?

Will a sonic boom stop your chickens from laying eggs, or might it just shatter the odd window pane? And who foots the bill when your building succumbs to the boom?

www.bbc.co.uk

A few years old but it covers the matter quite well. The RAF/MoD acknowledge damage caused by supersonic flight and have no problems with paying out for genuine claims.

Damage claims lodged through the MoD's official channels consisted mainly of broken windows to private properties, a car and a greenhouse.​

Plasterwork in a church in Alnwick in Northumberland was damaged as a result of a sonic boom in 2012, although a claim a boom later that same year had caused a dry stone wall to collapse in Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire was rejected by the MoD.​

The ministry paid out a total of £1,670.53 in that year.​

​

An MoD spokesman said: "Supersonic training is prohibited overland in the UK for both RAF and USAF fast jet crews.

"It is very rare for accidental supersonic flight during operational training overland, and we apologise for any inconvenience caused when this happens."

 

[dingerr]

The ministry paid out a total of £1,670.53 in that year.

That‘s probably equivalent to a minutes flight time.

 

[bobthedog]

They do go supersonic by accident, even then, I’m not sure I think compensation should be paid.

How do you prove any damage was caused by the boom? It it was capable of shaking some tiles off your roof I would suggest you should better maintain your property.

The speed of sound is actually a moving feast, depending on air pressure, temperature etc. As to insurance, most insurance policies for household and car have a war/hostilities exclusion clause, which mentions damage through sonic boom.

 

[ZW Clanger]

Whisper Mode, available on this one:

View attachment 551363

I didn’t realise that it was a modded Gazelle

 

[bobthedog]

Being a Brat of a RAF Officer during the 1960's our on-camp quarters used to have cast iron window frames (single glazed) and due to the constant flying of English Electric Lightnings which were not regulated for supersonic flight at the time, most of our windows had cracks into the corner of the window. We lived about 600 metres from the runway.

 

[beefer]

Slightly off thread, but along the same lines. Early this morning at 0335hrs, a helicopter ,very low, hovering over the area, very loud, and must have woken up scores of people, it was moving about for 45 minutes, making a hell of a racket, i can only think it was plod, bloody annoying, and kept us awake for about an hour or so. I appreciate they have to catch the little toerags, but it isn't rocket science to engage silent mode, if fitted.

You have excelled yourself! I didn’t think you could post more shit that usual but hey ho.

 

[dingerr]

Being a Brat of a RAF Officer during the 1960's our on-camp quarters used to have cast iron window frames (single glazed) and due to the constant flying of English Electric Lightnings which were not regulated for supersonic flight at the time, most of our windows had cracks into the corner of the window. We lived about 600 metres from the runway.

What a glorious thing that must have been.

 

[Unremarkable]

It isn't 'louder' at source - the output is exactly the same (Physics you see). The difference is in 2 things:

1) Air at night is generally more still, and sound is more efficiently transmitted - therefore louder at the ground.
2) Less ambient noise, so it is more noticeable - like during the 2 minute silence

1a, if you will: air is also cooler at night, therefore more dense.

 

[baldbof]

Being a Brat of a RAF Officer during the 1960's our on-camp quarters used to have cast iron window frames (single glazed) and due to the constant flying of English Electric Lightnings which were not regulated for supersonic flight at the time, most of our windows had cracks into the corner of the window. We lived about 600 metres from the runway.

Same with our MQ at Scampton, although the broken pane in our kitchen window was caused by some two-winged wonder in a Vulcan trying to mimic a Saturn rocket as he took-off. When I reported the window to Bogs and Drains they were going to bill me for the replacement pane. Told'em to send it to OC 35, it was one of his jets - never did get a bill and the window was never repaired by the time we moved out.

 

[bobthedog]

Same with our MQ at Scampton, although the broken pane in our kitchen window was caused by some two-winged wonder in a Vulcan trying to mimic a Saturn rocket as he took-off. When I reported the window to Bogs and Drains they were going to bill me for the replacement pane. Told'em to send it to OC 35, it was one of his jets - never did get a bill and the window was never repaired by the time we moved out.

Yes those Vulcans could make the whole house shake, I still have a house near to the end of Scampton Runway, and during the '80's and early 90's we were constantly woken by QRA aircraft making a fast take off (usually in pairs). Earth Shaking is the only way to describe it!

 

[Sadurina]

Being a Brat of a RAF Officer during the 1960's our on-camp quarters used to have cast iron window frames (single glazed) and due to the constant flying of English Electric Lightnings which were not regulated for supersonic flight at the time, most of our windows had cracks into the corner of the window. We lived about 600 metres from the runway.

We had those frames in our council house (Leicester). They cracked the glass due to crap design (differential expansion) and no aircraft involved. (Though my mum said the B52s from Bruntingthorpe woke me as a little 'un)

 

[theoriginalphantom]

1a, if you will: air is also cooler at night, therefore more dense.

Is it the same with people posting at night?

 

[Sixty]

Is it the same with people posting at night?

If cooler = dense then some of the people on here must be akin to the Fonz in an industrial freezer.

 

[RBMK]

Being a Brat of a RAF Officer during the 1960's our on-camp quarters used to have cast iron window frames (single glazed) and due to the constant flying of English Electric Lightnings which were not regulated for supersonic flight at the time, most of our windows had cracks into the corner of the window. We lived about 600 metres from the runway.

Yes, but a Lightning would be supersonic about 3 seconds after lighting the burners....

in fact some say that the mere sight of a Lightning was sufficient to crack windows.

 

[Harry Clampers]

Ok I'll bite.
Silent mode ?

It's a thing. It really is. But you need something the size of a Puma to lug it around.

 

[exbluejob]

I can’t imagine supersonic training flights ever being authorised over built up areas.

Correct, there are specific rules for supersonic flights and they're all out to sea.

 

[baldbof]

We had those frames in our council house (Leicester). They cracked the glass due to crap design (differential expansion) and no aircraft involved. (Though my mum said the B52s from Bruntingthorpe woke me as a little 'un)

The B52s were like whisper-jets compared to the Vulcan.

Apols if this has already been posted .

 

[bobthedog]

Yes, but a Lightning would be supersonic about 3 seconds after lighting the burners....

in fact some say that the mere sight of a Lightning was sufficient to crack windows.

I was lucky enough to be in Cyprus on a posting with my Father in 1973, when IIRC the Yom Kippur war was commencing, watching the US Mediterranean fleet assemble in Limassol Bay, and at night fishing from the angling club on Akrotiri to the tune of the pairs of Lightnings in full Air Defence mode doing emergency take off from the runway. They went supersonic in the climb.....

 

[Pete Cozy]

Virtually every day where I live, yeah sound travels at night, but at least 3 night a week 20 minutes, or more the sound of the PAS, I could, easily tell them to Foxtrot Oscar on 243mhz, multi modes. Anyone know if the PAS have RWR's fitted?.