Photo: Getty Images
There were numerous reports of a sonic boom that shook buildings in the Abbeville, Antreville, Due West, and Donalds areas at around 10 in the morning yesterday. WYFF New 4 has found out what it is and that it is very possible that people in the Greenville area may hear similar sounds again.
F-16 Fighting Falcon Block 70 fighter jets are being produced and tested by Lockheed Martin. These are the most advanced F-16's ever built, with advanced radar, crash avoidance systems, structural and weapons upgrades, and more. A representative of that company was quoted as saying:
"Lockheed Martin can confirm we had flight operations in that area and around that time this morning. As part of the pre-delivery testing, all F-16s will conduct flight tests that include flying supersonic. All our flight testing takes place in airspace designated by the FAA, and noise levels heard by the community will depend on various factors such as the type of flight operations, the power setting, altitude, and weather conditions. In January, we launched a new era for the F-16 program, with the successful first flight of the F-16 Block 70 in Greenville. This F-16 Block 70 jet is the first of 16 jets to be delivered to Bahrain. The jet will undergo continued flight tests in Greenville followed by additional flight testing at Edwards Air Force Base."
A similar boom was heard in the Honea Path area last month, and here are some photos of that F-16 test flight posted by the Donaldson Center FD on Facebook: