Fly from New York City to L.A. in about two hours?(Brief article)

Kiplinger Letter, The, November, 2007

Fly from New York City to L.A. in about two hours? It can be done with a jet traveling at supersonic speeds. But there's a hitch. The Federal Aviation Admin. won't OK flights traveling across the U.S. at or over Mach 1 because the sonic booms would drive everyone nuts.

Some engineers think they have the answer to the noise problem. At Gulfstream Aerospace, they're testing a sharply spiked composite nose to alleviate the noise. And at Supersonic Aerospace International, engineers are developing hush kits to muffle the thunderous sound. Meanwhile, other firms are working on plans for supersonic business jets in the belief that the noise problem will eventually be overcome.

Still, supersonic cross-country travel is at least 10 years away.