The Inner Monologue

After only 53 years of deciding that sonic booms over populated areas might be a bad idea, the U.S. has apparently concluded that the future is arriving too slowly. The ban on overland supersonic flight is out, and the dream of a two-hour Los Angeles-to-New York flight is back.

What could possibly go wrong?

Neighborhoods can now enjoy the soothing sound of windows rattling every few minutes. Air traffic controllers get to juggle aircraft moving faster than rifle bullets. Airlines get to discover whether passengers will pay Concorde prices for economy seats. Environmentalists get new material. Lawyers get new clients. And homeowners get to ask whether that crack in the drywall is “normal.”

Still, if engineers can truly eliminate or dramatically reduce the sonic boom, the technology could be revolutionary.

Until then, America is boldly accelerating toward the future at Mach 1+, confidently repeating history’s favorite phrase:

“We’ve got this.”