Does a pilot that breaks the sound barrier hear the sonic boom?
No, a sonic boom is actually a very rapid change in ir pressure that travels in a cone shaped wave. This is why we call it a shockwave. At any point on the aircraft during thr flight, the air pressure is more or less unchanging. At least, it doesn’t change rapidly enough for the pilot to hear the boom. Think of it as the pilot riding just behind the sonic boom. He’s travelling with it, so it never passes over him. Anyone outside being passed will hear it because the wave actually moves over them. Another way of imagining it is a swimmer. Because he’s making the wave with his head and shoulders, as he moves through the water, he doesn’t feel the wave. It’s moving out away from him. Anybody nearby will feel it pass, though.
