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Sonic Boom from F-15 Fighter Jet Rattles Central Illinois

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency confirmed on Tuesday that an F-15 fighter jet traveling over central Illinois was the cause of a bizarre “loud boom” heard by local communities.

On December 21st, Central Illinois police stations were flooded with phone calls about the sound heard by thousands.

“It was just a loud boom, an audible boom that I heard”, Emergency Management spokesperson Rebecca Clark told Fox News. “I didn’t feel anything — it was just a sound.”

Following the noise, Springfield Police Lt. Jason Brands confirmed that residents heard the “boom” at 11:28 AM.

“We have no idea it was,” he admitted at the time. “There have been absolutely no reports of anything actually damaged. It’s just that everyone has been calling saying they heard an explosion.”

The sound sent both local and state agencies hunting for clues. And after a few hours, authorities answered the mystery.

“It was determined that an F-15 fighter jet in the airspace above central Illinois course-corrected creating a sonic boom. When the aircraft broke the sound barrier, the pressure wave created an audible noise and minor shaking in the region,” Illinois Emergency Management Agency said in a statement.

The agency added that the sonic boom did not cause any damage.

Rebecca Clark asked reporters to forward further questions about the fighter jet and its origins to the Federal Aviation Administration office in Kansas City. The Associated Press emailed the FAA’s office of media relations but has yet to hear back.

90-Year-Old Vet Flies Fighter Jet 65 Years After Flying One in Vietnam War

Vietnam vet Clyde Bridger recently took a trip in a T-33 fighter jet—the same model he flew in combat 65 years ago.

Bridger was invited to take the jet for a spin during the 75th anniversary of the Oconto J. Douglas Bake Airport in Wisconsin. And he proved that he can still fly with the best of them.

“It’s like a bicycle,” he told People before take off. “You never forget how, so I’m anticipating that I won’t have a problem.”

Once the pilot was sky-high, he showcased all the tricks he learned when he was in his 20s. He even maneuvered a few touch-and-goes and a pulled-off a 360 overhead approach.

“I feel like a teenager all over again,” he gushed. “There are not very many times that you see somebody —  especially my age — even getting into one, much less actually doing the flying.” 

Clyde Bridger joined the Air Force after he graduated from high school in Oconto. He spent over two decades in Texas before moving back to his hometown. And he’s been in Wisconsin ever since.

“Clyde, who happens to be in fantastic shape, did an awesome job. And he’s a hometown boy on top of it,” said Patrick Trepanier, Chairman of Oconto Elks Airport Fly-In.