SSTs Could Fly Again as Congress Targets Supersonic Ban

[brooklynite]

Roll Call:

The U.S. has banned domestic commercial supersonic aviation for four decades, but lawmakers could upend those restrictions in the coming weeks even as environmentalists and public health advocates warn that doing so could elevate pollution and climate damage from high speed aircraft.

Congress faces a Sept. 30 deadline to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration. A provision in the House-passed FAA reauthorization bill directs the agency to create federal and international “policies, regulations, and standards relating to the certification and safe and efficient operation of civil supersonic aircraft.”

The Senate bill that was advanced by the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee last year and now awaits floor consideration would direct the Transportation secretary to promulgate rules to permit “the development, testing, manufacturing, and operation of civil supersonic aircraft in the United States” and to set a noise standard for sonic boom that is “economically reasonable and technologically” practical.The prospect of opening up the U.S. to supersonic flights has provoked reminders and warnings about the fate of the Concorde, which was retired in 2003 because of, according to the FAA, high costs associated with meeting the environmental restrictions on sonic booms, inefficient fuel consumption and other factors.

[Historic NY]

1. Does any airline even have them? None are in service.

NASA's planned plane hasn't even cleared production

[link:https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-begins-work-to-build-a-quieter-supersonic-passenger-jet|]

[brooklynite]

5. The only commercial design (Concorde) was based on 60s engine technology...

They'll have to design a more fuel-efficient form to make the SST return practical

[Historic NY]

7. That was the premise back in the 70's when Gov. Rockefeller

took 8000 acres from the taxpayers in New Windsor NY for the MTA to add to the former Stewart Air Force Base, now Stewart International....after decades of court battles the vacant land once dotted with many houses from 1730s 1740s and 18th century were demolished, now remains forever wild Gov. Pataki signed off on the last acreage when he was Gov.

The US SST of which there were 2 would never fly one passenger. In the end the heartache still here in area resonates, because they knew it was too damn expensive to fly in addition to the noise.

People willingly gave the US Government land (2000 acres) back during WWI, but this was beyond. The insult was after the SST fail, they tried to sell it all off for commercial development. Thankfully history and the press covering one fateful meeting by the MTA officials with the public sealed the final nail in that coffin.

[Nitram]

2. Not a good idea, polluting the stratosphere.

[Turbineguy]

3. Trumps friends want to move faster.

What they really need is a non-extradition treaty country.

[Wounded Bear]

4. Not sure we have runways for them...

One reason the original SST would only land in NY is that that was the only airport long enough for it to land. Many airports around the country don't have the extra land around them to extend runways, and that would be expensive.

Perhaps a "new" design SST could land on conventional runways.

The sonic boom problem involves designing a plane that can fly efficiently at lower speeds when at lower altitudes. Not to mention having those high powered engines tamp down noise levels when doing so.

They can pass all the laws they like, the engineering is what the real problem is.

[unc70]

6. Runways not main problem

The Concorde made numerous trips to other US airports. I saw it once st RDU. Lots of other reasons it was discontinued.

There is a new generation of SSTs under development which would have radically different characteristics, including much less pollution.

[Historic NY]

8. Stewart AFB had the land...

the MTA took it over after the USAF base closed in 1969. See my earlier post.

[DavidDvorkin]

9. This could become a real issue again, fairly soon

This company is moving in that direction:

https://boomsupersonic.com/