Tristan 'Geppetto' Brandenburg, the chief test pilot for Boom Supersonic, reflects on the surprisingly anticlimactic experience of breaking the sound barrier with the XB-1. This achievement positions Boom to create the first supersonic airliner since the Concorde's retirement in 2003. The company's founder, Blake Scholl, was inspired by visiting the Concorde in a museum and aims to make supersonic travel accessible to more than just the wealthy. Despite challenges, such as fuel efficiency, Boom Supersonic is optimistic about the future of air travel.
It is surprisingly kind of anticlimactic. You don't hear a sonic boom from the cockpit because you are leaving the shock waves behind you.
The XB-1 broke the sound barrier over the Mojave Desert. The event positions Boom Supersonic to produce the first supersonic airliner since the Concorde was grounded in 2003.
If it succeeds, we're on the cusp of a new era of air travel that will bring Concorde speed for business class prices.
I never got to fly on Concorde. It was twenty thousand a ticket and that is really for royalty and rock stars.
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