What it Feels Like To Go Supersonic | Thunderbird Fighter Pilot Reacts

About this video

Max, a former F-15E and F-16 Thunderbirds pilot, pushes back against other fighter pilots who describe going supersonic as a “non-event.” He explains that breaking the sound barrier means outrunning the jet’s own sound waves at roughly 770 mph at sea level or 660 mph at 35,000 feet. Max shares three personal stories: his first supersonic flight in a T-38 (after his instructor warned the 1960s jet could fall apart), a high-speed dive in an F-15E over Idaho where he rode a canyon supersonic into low-level flight, and flying in formation with eight F-16 Thunderbirds going supersonic together over the Atlantic Ocean.

Key takeaways

• Max argues that going supersonic is an exciting, memorable achievement that should be celebrated, not dismissed as mundane by fighter pilots
• Max explains that breaking the sound barrier involves outrunning the jet’s sound waves, creating compressed pressure waves and an explosion-like sound heard on the ground or by trailing aircraft
• Max recounts that flying eight F-16s supersonic in close formation created noticeable bow waves from compressed air that pushed his aircraft away from nearby jets, and he heard popping sounds when they crossed the barrier

Episode details: published March 9, 2022 · 4.8K views · 10:16 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. The analysis and commentary described are Max Afterburner’s, attributed to him — his channel includes hypothetical-scenario and news-react content, which is presented as his analysis, not established fact.

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