It's also the place where Andy Green, a British fighter pilot, broke the land speed record in 1997 by driving a jet-powered car through the sound barrier to 763 mph.

FORBES: "Let's Punch A Hole In the Sky"

Ideas of minimizing the noise of a jet as it passes through the sound barrier have been around since Concorde first deafened those living under its flight paths and beyond in 1976.

CNN: Bang goes the sonic boom