I grew up near Miramar NAS, "Top Gun," and used to watch the F-4s go by and hear the sonic booms. Yes they used to be able to break the sound barrier over land in the good 'ol days. I say it was fated to happen, because at the age of eleven I decided I wanted to get a glider. Now this was 1979 and radios were very expensive for an 11 year old so I got the "well thats pretty expensive, we'll see" line. Less then two weeks later my mother got a job as an engineer at Kraft radios and had a nice two channel off the line at a fraction of the cost, and a free Bridi Soar Birdy from one of the other engineers. I have been hooked ever since.