U.S. civil aviation has treated Mach 1 over land as a hard boundary for more than five decades, but the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) now wants to judge supersonic flight by what reaches the ground and not simply by speed. Its proposed interim standard would permit overland operations if sonic-boom overpressure stays at or below 0.11 pounds per square foot under an FAA-approved compliance method.
FAA Rule Gives Developers A Path
For Tim Franta, CEO of Starfighters Space (NYSE:FJET), a company that operates the world’s only commercial fleet of Lockheed F-104 Starfighters, this changes the industry’s direction even before passengers board a supersonic airliner.
"It is obvious that regulators want more data, which means they need more test flights," Franta told Benzinga in an exclusive interview. "Overall, the new rules are a positive signal that supersonic transport businesses won’t be overly constrained by regulation."
The FAA still has another major piece to write. A separate proposal covering takeoff and landing noise is expected later this year, with the agency targeting completion of both standards by mid-2027.
