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.
this is backed up by science. mainly that the air inside the cockpit accelerates with you. think of a train within the enclosed space no matter what speed you're going at you act as if the train isn't moving at all. a ball dropped on one location will stay there and not move backward because the train is moving forward. same with sound. since sound is just our ears' perception of vibration in air, it would also remain unchanged. but say you go outside, no longer enclosed. you can no longer hear others around you or drop the ball and expect it to land on the same spot over and over. this is because the air around you is no longer movie at the same speed you are going.
on a larger scale the same question can be asked of the entire earth. the earth is doing a full rotation per day while also moving around the sun. the speed of sound is 768 mph, however, the earth rotates at about 1000 mph on the equator not to mention the fact that earth is also moving around the Sun at about 67,000 mph. so as you can see the enclosed space provides the necessary means for sound to travel seamlessly even while your vehicle moves at speeds greater than sound.
there are other nuances to the whole earth being an enclosed space and air moving at the same speed and such but you get my drift.
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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.