Sonic Boom, 1955
F-84F Thunderstreak
Northern Utah residents experienced a small mystery the afternoon of July 31, 1955, when a sonic boom occurred near Hill Air Force Base. For most residents, this was their first time experiencing the phenomenon, and police departments were inundated with phone calls and questions. Although residents reported windows rattling and curtains moving, there did not appear to be any structural damage.
By August 3, no one was taking responsibility for the sonic boom. Hill Air Force Base denied that any of their planes capable of producing such a boom were responsible. Lt. Richard Bunting was in the air at the time in his F-84F Thunderstreak, but he claimed to be at low altitude and flying less than 200 miles per hour. HAFB officials reached out to other nearby bases to see if any of their pilots were flying in the area, but there were none.
Although the mystery was never solved, it proved to be a learning experience for Northern Utahns, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last time they experienced sonic booms. In later years, at the HAFB air show, it would become common for a jet to break the sound barrier as a kick-off for the event.
