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Is it illegal to fly supersonic?

Current rules prohibit commercial airplanes from flying at supersonic speeds over land because of the noise levels associated with sonic booms and the negative impacts to humans and animals.



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Due to the noise they generate, supersonic jets are banned from flying over land. This meant that Concorde's engines at around 105 decibels could only fly above the speed of sound over water, limiting its possible routes.

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Such speed didn't come cheap, though: A transatlantic flight required the high-maintenance aircraft to gulp jet fuel at the rate of one ton per seat, and the average round-trip price was $12,000.

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The North American X-15 may be the fastest plane in the world, with speeds at 4,520 mph and Mach 5.93. It's an experimental aircraft used and powered by NASA and USAF.

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The F/A-18 can reach speeds just under Mach 2, almost twice the speed of sound or about 1,400 mph.

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Spike Aerospace, founded in 2013 Max Kachoria of NASA, built an 18-passenger supersonic jet with low-sonic boom, fuel efficiency, speeds up to 1,100 mph, and flight times slashed in half. Their current model is the S-512 which can get passengers to cities in a moment's notice: NYC to London: 3 hours.

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If you simply ejected at Mach 10 using a regular jet's ejection system, or even a pressure suit, you would not survive.

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Could The Human Body Survive Mach 10? Tom Cruise's character's feat of Mach 10 speed in Top Gun: Maverick is one scientifically improbable stunt out of many featured in the film. That being said, is it possible for the human body to be able to withstand such acceleration? The most likely answer is a resounding no.

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In real life, Diana took several trips aboard the Concorde, both with Prince Charles and solo.

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Technical, financial, and regulatory hurdles make a return to the skies extremely unlikely. Concorde is an aircraft that captures the imagination and is instantly recognizable even to non-aviation fanatics.

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