Some New Jersey residents do not enjoy this flying path.
According to the Navy, the mysterious booming sounds that frequently shook New Jersey houses this week were likely the result of supersonic testing.
nj.com said that the unusual earthquake-like vibrations were felt most severely in the southern portion of the state on Monday, as the military branch experimented with an extremely high-speed aircraft near the Jersey shore.
Naval Air Station Patuxent River officials “executed supersonic test points” above the Atlantic Ocean approximately three miles from the New Jersey coastline, according to a Navy spokeswoman.
During the test, Navy pilots flew the supersonic aircraft in an airspace known as the “Test Track,” according to a representative.
The sonic booms most likely caused the unpleasant ground shaking, which left scores of locals perplexed after it was determined that there was no seismic activity in the region.
Supersonic Navy testing was presumably the source of the unexplained, earth-shaking booms.
At least 35 individuals in Cape May, Cumberland, and Ocean counties reported feeling the tremor on the earthquake-tracking website volcanodiscovery.com.
Others reported it on social media, including a forecaster from Upper Township who demanded, “What IS going on?”
“[There were] loud booms, shaking, and light flashes in the night sky… What we are experiencing is not unique,” commented meteorologist Nick Pittman on Facebook. “This is occurring everywhere. The question is, “Is there a natural thread connecting everything?”
The Navy aircraft exceeds the speed of sound in flight.
On Friday, a Navy representative stated that neighbors near the test site do not typically hear or feel sonic booms, but that weather circumstances and “the specifics of the test flight” can change this.
The off-shore testing area was chosen due to its proximity to military stations and lack of population.
Navy representative: “[It is] close enough for the safety of planes and pilots and to conserve jet fuel.”
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