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My textbook says that:

Sonic Boom :
Sonic boom is an impulsive noise similar to thunder........
From the perspective of the aircraft, the boom appears to be swept backwards as it travels away from the aircraft. If the plane makes a sharp turn or pulls up, the boom will hit the ground in front of the aircraft.

I don't get it what they mean by that sentence in bold. What do they mean by 'the ground infront of aircraft'? Do they mean that it hits the area which was infront of the aircraft before it takes a sharp turn or pulls up?

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The shock wave itself is just a nonlinear sound wave that steepened to the point of reaching a stable discontinuity. If a supersonic jet makes an abrupt turn while moving faster than the speed of sound, the shock wave produced prior to the turn will continue to propagate in the original direction of the jet prior to its turn. In this way, the sonic boom could be heard before the jet physically passed over the observer. This is what is meant by the last sentence.

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  • $\begingroup$ So, it means that even if the plane turns, the boom will continue to move in its previous direction, right? $\endgroup$
    – lee
    Commented Jan 2, 2021 at 4:18
  • $\begingroup$ "In this way, the sonic boom could be heard before the jet physically passed over the observer." - Is it that the observer will hear the Sonic boom before the plane passes over him? Or is it that he will hear it even if the plane do not pass over him? (Since the plane changes its direction) $\endgroup$
    – lee
    Commented Jan 2, 2021 at 5:45
  • $\begingroup$ @lee - The plane need not pass over the observer to hear the sonic boom. $\endgroup$
    – honeste_vivere
    Commented Jan 3, 2021 at 20:04
  • $\begingroup$ Thank you very much @honeste_vivere. I understood it. $\endgroup$
    – lee
    Commented Jan 4, 2021 at 3:28
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Yes, I'd say it's poorly worded. I'm pretty sure they meant "the ground that was ahead of the aircraft before it turned or pulled up".

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  • $\begingroup$ Are you sure that's what they meant? I did also think so at first. But if the plane pulled up, shouldn't it(sonicboom) hit the ground under the plane since it will sweep backwards? (i.e., not the area infront of the plane.) $\endgroup$
    – lee
    Commented Dec 31, 2020 at 11:02

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