These propeller-driven aircraft are by their nature slow and loud. In addition to the noise they may create by flying at low level, these aircraft may also generate noise from the type of training or testing they conduct. This often involves the firing of guns at targets on the ground. Noise is generated from both the discharge of the guns and the impact of the munitions with the ground. Supersonic operations in the area can also produce high noise levels.
Sonic booms created by supersonic flight can be loud enough to shatter windows or rattle structures.
The sonic boom is the result of shock waves formed at the nose of an aircraft traveling at speeds greater than the speed of sound. Overland supersonic flights at Eglin are severely restricted. Supersonic testing is normally allowed only over the Gulf, well offshore from populated areas. Another potential source of high noise levels is the testing of munition or weapon systems on the Eglin test areas. The detonation associated with a bomb exploding or a gun firing produces a pressure wave that travels out in all directions.