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But for the third time in two months, the Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland said it was conducting noise tests in the region this week. The last round of Naval testing felt in South Jersey came in December, as reported here.
Residents reported booms, rattling windows and walls shaking on Thursday for at least the fourth time in three months.
Naval Air Station Patuxent River, a U.S. naval station based in St. Mary’s County in Maryland, issued a noise advisory on its Facebook page Tuesday, saying it would be conducting “noise-generating testing events” between Tuesday and Friday.
“Pilots at NAS Patuxent River will be conducting Field Carrier Landing Practices (FCLPs). FCLPs are simulated carrier landings conducted to prepare the pilot to land safely on an aircraft carrier,” the agency said in its Facebook post.
“The practices consist of series of touch-and-go maneuvers, called ‘bounces.’ Airspeed, altitude and power are all precisely choreographed in order for a pilot to approach the ship within an acceptable window to land on the deck safely,” the post added.
“Residents may notice increased noise levels due to these operations,” the post said.
It wasn’t immediately known how far away the noise would carry. But Facebook has been packed with reports of shaking in homes and businesses across South Jersey Thursday.
NorEaster Nick Pittman wrote on Facebook: "So today’s shaking seems to be a little more powerful… reports of it being felt INSIDE Galloway ShopRite. That’s a pretty sturdy building… I worked their for several years.
"It went from being every once in a while to a few times a month to almost daily now. Planes are up there doing touch and goes, so there’s that," Pittman wrote.
On Friday, Jan. 13, residents from as far south as Cape May and up to Manahawkin along the coast and as far west as Glassboro in Gloucester County reported feeling shaking in their homes. They said the rattling lasted at least 10 seconds.
Patrick Gordon, public affairs officer for Naval Air Station Patuxent River, said their aircraft flew a few miles off the coast through a path known as the "Atlantic test track" used by the Department of Defense. The aircraft went supersonic, Gordon said, breaking the sound barrier, which produced a loud sound similar to thunder. It's referred to as a sonic boom.
As with all operations, NAS Patuxent River said it takes precautions to lessen the impact of testing activities on the community. For more information call 1-866-819-9028.
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