Boom Supersonic performed the first demonstration flight with the XB-1 aircraft. It took place on March 22, 2023 in Mojave, California. The XB-1 aircraft took off on March 22, 2024 and flew to an altitude of 2.100 meters at a speed of 273 mph.
The XB-1 was flown by Boom's chief test pilot, Bill "Doc" Shoemaker. Test pilot Tristan "Geppetto" Brandenburg flew the T-38 tracking aircraft that monitored the flight.
"Everyone on the XB-1 team should be incredibly proud of this achievement” said Bill Shoemaker, Chief Test Pilot for Boom Supersonic. "It has been a privilege to share this journey with so many dedicated and talented professionals. The experience we have gained in reaching this milestone will be invaluable to the revival of supersonic travel. "
Today marks a big milestone towards the rebirth of supersonic passenger flight. For the first time in decades, a civilian supersonic airplane has taken to the skies. The @boomaero XB-1 met all of its first flight objectives—and we're only going further, higher, and faster from here. pic.twitter.com/ICfX75n3Rw
— Blake Scholl 🛫 (@bscholl) March 22, 2024
Two decades after the retirement of Concorde, the first flight of the XB-1 marks the return of a civilian supersonic aircraft to the skies and paves the way for the revival of mass supersonic travel.