We are so far away the sound hasn’t reached us yet, but when it does, it is a surprise, a jolt, a shock—even for one who thought it overdue. God, it’s not a noise, it’s a presence. From tip of toes to top of head, this machine suddenly reaches out and grabs you, and shakes, and as it crackles and roars, suddenly you realize the meaning of 7.5 million pounds of thrust—it can make the Cape Kennedy sand vibrate under your feet at a distance of four miles. Supposedly, the acoustic energy kills birds who fly by too closely; what must it be like to ride one?
