The Sound Barrier

[pym]

Just under 60 years ago, Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in the  Bell X-1 for the first time.

Cue a lighthearted question:

Has any Air Corps pilot broken the speed of sound?

Whether by being a passenger on Concorde, placing a Fouga Magister in a death defying dive or in the backseat of an RAF jet... has it happened?

[Irish251]

Well, I think you can safely rule out the second scenario for a start, as that would be physically impossible as well as probably suicidal!

[FiSe]

Quote (pym @ 12 July 2007,19:48)

Just under 60 years ago, Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in the  Bell X-1 for the first time.

Carefuly here, this is a very, very thin ice  

[pym]

Quote (FiSe @ 12 July 2007,11:24)

Quote (pym @ 12 July 2007,19:48) Just under 60 years ago, Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in the  Bell X-1 for the first time. Carefuly here, this is a very, very thin ice

I know I know....

Was it the Russians, or was it the brave-stroke-lunatic in the Spitfire?

Or..

Anyway the question still stands....

[SousaTeuszii]

It has happened.
I know one pilot that went
 supersonic of the Cork coast in a Starfighter. I think it was over for an airshow in Cork that was rained out. He got the back seat the next day.
ST

[Irish251]

He did well - those were F-104Gs (single-seaters)!  I'm not aware of any other Starfighter visitors to Ireland.

http://www.irishairpics.com/database/photo/1005293/

[SousaTeuszii]

Stand By,
Ill have to check with him!!
ST

[Spook]

I think german F104's,team viking, came over for the cancelled show in cork in 1985(it was washed,ahh i remember it well)They stayed in shannon,i think,and they did a bit of flying around the south of the country.So there may be some truth in story  

[SousaTeuszii]

Spook,
If that ties in with the Air Corps being on SAR in Shannon that could well tie in. He was a Dauphin pilot at the time.
ST

[Frank]

Hi Guys,

Here's a story that was relayed to me by a member of the Air Corps:

Quote

I can recall a certain helicopter pilot taking a spin in Concorde out of Shannon. He was escorting a class of Apprentices on a field trip to SRS and the Corcorde was training and the crew offered them seats on a supersonic training flight. They took them!! So he and the entire Class of apprentices have done Mach 2 at 60,000ft! Would have been in early Eighties, maybe 82/83??

Regards,

Frank.