It's often used colloquially to mean "very fast" (see also: Sonic the Hedgehog). However, there are some major differences between supersonic and hypersonic flight. Here's what each term really means.

So, an aircraft flying at supersonic speeds at an altitude of 50,000 feet will generate sonic booms for 50 miles on the ground. How loud the sound is within that area can vary.

The fact that one of the supersonic corridors is over the base means that sonic booms are audible there, although the aircraft has to be above 30,000 feet. “We can boom the base, and we hear it ...