Boatnerd Discussion Forum

ML--Like the name Rolling Thunder. Believe that the name was used in some context in Viet Nam in regard to the B-52 strikes in the north.

The B-52's out of Kincheloe AFB would buzz us on Lake Superior from time to time. You could see them coming with their exhaust trails and they would go over us and shake the boat. Recalling the noise of those engines, it was a deafening high pitch whine, then once past, like rolling thunder. Loved it!

While growing up in Germany during the height of the Cold War in the mid-1970s, we lived on a US Army base near Heidelberg. I remember a story of a flight of jet aircraft (believe it was four f-4 Phantom IIs belonging either to the USAF or the Luftwaffe) that were flying towards the border of East Germany in an attempt to lure the activation of surface to air missiles batteries to begin radiating on the other side of the Iron Curtain. This would be done so these positions could be pinpointed by electronic intelligence assets. On one of these missions, the commander of the flight group misjudged his position and flew a little too close to the border at high speed. Informed by frantic calls from the ground that they were dangerously close to overflying East German territory, the jets made an abrupt turn and went supersonic. As the aircraft were at a relatively low altitude, the resulting sonic boom caused some damage on the ground. I'm remembering this some forty years later when hearing the story as a child, so some details may be incorrect. Years later, however, I worked with a man that had been stationed in Germany at the same timeframe that I lived there, and he also heard of this incident.

It was in the early 70s while wreck diving off of 40 Mile Point - my dive partner and I had just gotten back aboard our sailboat when he said "What is that?" Before I could say "what is what?", 2 F-4s out of Alpena (guessing here) flew over the top of us at *maybe* 100 feet above the water. While they weren't supersonic at the time, they still rocked us pretty good.

Growing up south of Alpena, the 1970's was a high time for watching AFR and ANG jets out of Phelps Collins field. Lots of F-100's, F-105's, F-4's, and the subsonic A-7 Corsair II's. Sonic booms used to be common around Thunder Bay. While not supersonic, I remember numerous times fishing at the mouth of the Bay and being buzzed by A-7's . . . lead would cross right over the boat, pull up, and rock his wings as he headed for the beach as if to say, "You are sunk" and then number 2 would pass off the beam rocking his wings as well. Fun times to be a kid!

Thank you for the feedback. I was looking for stories about jets out on the lake, not the river. It appears that some of you have had experiences with jets out on the lake. Once again, thank you.

Sonic booms use to be quite common back in the early 60's(?) till the Govt. said no more, over land. I have nor heard one in (?) decades , it is not a Base as a sub woofer, it takes every thing and resonates it , (if that is the word) sounds like a china cabinet being shook, and reshook, nothing is left out of the equation, does not (to me) sound like a an explosion or a bomb muffled by the ground. When Maverick buzzed the ships tower, the capt's coffee shook. I know it was a movie, in real life an explosion one would see the ripples in the coffee. these are my words... the Sonic boom is all encompassing. vs muffled .

For your info,
The F-15 and F-16 aircraft are no longer stationed at Selfridge. Now they fly only A-10 ground attack, C-135 air refuelers, and helicopters and national security aircraft.

I can't say if I heard a sonic boom but I did hear, several times when a F-16 on take off and went veritical using full afterburners. As said, the noise was loud, windows rattled and trees shook. I was about a half mile away. It rattled my teeth (almost).
Ron

There is a Nike site museum missle still located here in Riverview, Mich. I have pic from Google site in my machine.

Yup those are the ones that I've been seeing go over the river when they fly by. I never seem to be able though to get a photo as I am not quick enough with my camera and it takes me forever to try and zoom in to find it. By that time the thing is long gone and I am left in the dark disappointed that I didn't get the photo.

Back when the Nike missile system was operational B-52s would come in low over the lake & do simulated pop up bomb runs on cities in the region for training purposes. The Nike facilities would then also train by tracking them & doing a Radar Bomb Assesment. They would use the missile fire control radars to tell the aircrew how well they did on approach & critique their bomb release & everything. There were probably times when some late night pilothouse watch on a freighter out there was rattled right out of their seats from a big bomber passing over the deck at high speeds...must have really been something to see...

About halfway down a picture of an A10
http://www.boatnerd.com/news/newsthumbs ... s_1687.htm

I seem to recall somewhere in the News Photo Gallery Archives that somebody once captured and photographed one of the jets that fly over the river and maybe up into Lake Huron. Sorry but I don't know when it was taken and may have to do a search on that one. I also seem to recall that I don't think it was an F-16 or anything like that but looked like an A-10 Warthog but, don't know for sure and I could be wrong? Perhaps maybe somebody might have a photo of one of the jets that they can post on here for us to see sometime.

I have not seen the F-16's out of Selfridge go supersonic, but we were out surveying off of Tawas when two F-15's out of Alpena went supersonic and it rattled everything on the boat. We were worried that the boom would knock out the sidescan equipment.

If they are the A-10 Warthogs stationed at Selfridge ANG base, their maximum speed is 439 mph which is far below the speed of sound. No sonic boom from this aircraft, which is the type most likely to be flying over Lake Huron.

I have never heard of a "sonic boom" although I have seen jets flying over the river a few times that I have been up there. I don't know where they go to but, you can definitely hear them and see them though. From the looks of it I would say they are the A-10 Warthogs maybe if that sounds right? One thing I've learned is that you really got look fast for them as they "flash before your very eyes!" If you ever try to take a picture of one, you better be quick and not be fooling around as they will be gone in no time.

Have heard story's of jets flying up lake Huron to mackinac and back from slefridge and often reach mach 1 over the open lake. Has anyone every heard a sonic boom out on the lake?