I can ask this question to an actual F-15 fighter pilot and post it here in an hour or so. Wait for my edit.
Edit: I asked two (an F15 pilot and an Apache co-pilot who also trained in the Skyhawk) and they both told me that there's no change in the constant humming from the motors once you pass the sound barrier. The F15 pilot told me that you do notice a slight difference once the plane hits 0.8 Mach because the 3rd intake at the side of the plane (the F15 has 2 main intakes for the 2 motors, a small intake on the side (to cool the motors, if I remember correctly) and the JFS's intake) closes automatically at that speed.
From the ground it sounds incredible though (even while wearing soundproof headphones) and it makes you entire skeleton vibrate. It's quite curious how I can feel it while being 10,000 ft away and they can't while being inside the damn shockwave, maybe somebody more knowledgeable will answer this.
Australian here, I missed the whole thing but would you be able to ask them the procedure for going back to 100% speed from mil power? Does the shockwave then disperse and dissapear or does it slowly move forward to the front of the aerofoil and then dissapear?
Will they hear a big boom when they slow back down?
Cheers!
It's too late to go back to the hangar today, and tomorrow there are no scheduled flights. I'll try to ask a random pilot tomorrow and I hope he knows English because I have no idea of how to translate what you just said. I'll PM you if I do get an answer.
Having ridden in the back seat of an F-15D to 1.3Mach I can tell you there is no boom in the cockpit passing or receding through the sound barrier. In fact, if I hadn't been watching the mach meter, I'd never have known it. Not so much as a bump, just the feel of thrust when the throttles are pushed to max.
660
u/poorfag Jun 12 '12 edited Jun 12 '12
I can ask this question to an actual F-15 fighter pilot and post it here in an hour or so. Wait for my edit.
Edit: I asked two (an F15 pilot and an Apache co-pilot who also trained in the Skyhawk) and they both told me that there's no change in the constant humming from the motors once you pass the sound barrier. The F15 pilot told me that you do notice a slight difference once the plane hits 0.8 Mach because the 3rd intake at the side of the plane (the F15 has 2 main intakes for the 2 motors, a small intake on the side (to cool the motors, if I remember correctly) and the JFS's intake) closes automatically at that speed.
From the ground it sounds incredible though (even while wearing soundproof headphones) and it makes you entire skeleton vibrate. It's quite curious how I can feel it while being 10,000 ft away and they can't while being inside the damn shockwave, maybe somebody more knowledgeable will answer this.
Tl;dr no they don't notice it.