Prohibition of supersonic, transonic and hypersonic flight over land is up for review in the UK as the nation's Civil Aviation Authority launches a public consultation on a number of changes.
Post Concorde, there have been no commercial aircraft capable of hypersonic or supersonic flight and therefore the current policy hasn't been reviewed for a number of years, simply because it wasn't needed. Yet now, with several manufacturers actively working on the development of commercial aircraft capable of supersonic and hypersonic speeds, the CAA now believes an update to the policy is required.
The issue is the sonic boom that flights at hypersonic or supersonic speeds create when hitting the speed of sound. This is the manifestation of the shock wave created by the aircraft flying at supersonic or hypersonic speeds and the environmental implications on the ground of such flights are potentially significant. The CAA says that the "effects of a sonic boom can vary dependent on several factors including, but not limited to, the sensitivity of the individual on the ground, weather, surrounding background noise and whether someone is likely to be anticipating a sonic boom. Without the ability to predict or control these factors, the only way to prevent the impacts of sonic booms is to prohibit flights which have the potential to create such events."
The CAA thinks it is important that everyone is given the opportunity to voice their opinion on matters that could affect them. They are currently inviting members of the general public, government agencies and all sectors of the aviation industry, whether as an aviator, aviation consumer and/or provider of related products and services to take part in the consultation.
