Loud bang in Hildesheim: Citizens alerted, military aircraft suspected!

Loud bang in Hildesheim: Citizens alerted, military aircraft suspected!

On Friday afternoon, two loud bangs in Hildesheim caused a stir and many concerned citizens called the police. The police and fire brigade reported that initially no operations were necessary and no damage was found. The rumor about possible explosions coming from the direction of Moritzberg or Drispenstedt was quickly dismissed as unfounded. Instead, there is increasing evidence that the noises were caused by a supersonic aircraft, such as the Hannoversche Allgemeine reported.

The speed of sound, which is crucial for exceeding the Mach number of 1, is estimated to be around 340.54 m/s at a temperature of 15 °C. Planes traveling faster than sound produce what is known as a sonic boom, which is similar to the sound of thunder. These noises are the result of shock waves that spread in a cone behind an aircraft as soon as it breaks the sound barrier and are not only noticeable locally but can travel long distances. In Hildesheim, calls could even be heard from the neighboring regions of Hanover and Hameln.

Information about supersonic flights

The Bundeswehr Aviation Office, responsible for military air traffic, was unable to issue an official statement at the time of reporting because the service had already ended. However, an answer is expected next Monday, they said Hannoversche Allgemeine. Local police in Springe confirmed that flying jets were responsible for the noise and stressed there was no cause for concern.

Airplanes that reach supersonic speeds often have to use special technologies to cope with the high resistance and shock waves. Older models rely on using afterburners or diving to achieve the required speed. However, in modern aviation, engines like those on the YF-102A, which was the first aircraft to reach supersonic speeds in level flight, can do this more efficiently.

Further information for citizens

Concerned citizens have the opportunity to direct questions or complaints about military flight operations to the Bundeswehr Aviation Office on the free number 0800/8620730. This is available on Fridays from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. If you would like to find out more about supersonic flight and its impact on the environment, you can read the article on the website Wikipedia a good overview.

The events in Hildesheim show once again how sensitive the population is to air noise and how important clear information from the responsible authorities is. Whether supersonic flights become a hot topic in local conversation or not, one thing is certain: the fascination with aviation technology remains unbroken.