industry
Proposed FAA supersonic overpressure limits face environmental and industry backlash
The FAA’s proposal to replace the decades-old civilian supersonic flight ban with a pressure-based noise metric is facing steep resistance from environmental groups and aviation stakeholders. The plan would permit supersonic flight over land if the resulting shockwave remains below 0.11 pounds per square foot of overpressure at ground level. However, critics argue this metric fails to capture human annoyance and fluctuates unpredictably with atmospheric conditions, meaning future supersonic pilots could face significant operational liabilities when managing these profiles in shifting weather.