Any one know what the loud bang is almost every night on the north side by the dike?

i think its trains being moved around

I have heard it too. Last night I was watching Ghost Hunters on tv and about jumped out of skin when it went off.~LOL~

Yes. It scares my dogs and wakes up my son.

I've heard it also... I don't think it's the trains, I live over by the tracks plus it's not the same sound a train makes, it's almost like a gun going off.

I've heard it a couple of times around 11:30-midnight and it sounds like it is coming from up on the hill.

I have heard it too! I am not sure what it is either, but would be great if it stop!

i too live down that way and can hear it almost every night, does sound kinda like a gun

Are you guys hearing one or many of these sounds?
My curiosity is piqued.

ive heard it more than once at night before

Could it be coming from the cornfields on the north side.

At one time a loud noise maker was used to scare off birds out of the cornfields down there.

If it's not down by Roosevelt School . . . then we're not sure.

Anyway . . . makes for an interesting Halloween.

Kinda sounds like someone dynamiting fish in the river......

Maybe someone found "a place to pop off a few rounds".

It's the ice breaking up in the river...........

[This message has been edited by John Morford (10/22/2010)]

I believe what you are hearing are the military planes that have clearance to test flights in our air space. Just last week the radio news stated that the military is trying to expand the borders of cleared airspace for their flights and that local farmers are trying to block it because it will affect their livestock and livelihood. I suggest maybe looking into it further if you want to assist your local farmers protect their investments.

>>it's not the same sound a train makes, it's almost like a gun going off.

Could be a bullet train.

Do you mean sonic booms Jonna? They aren't allowed to do that anymore over land.

Hey. Haven't heard it since this was posted......?

I heard a loud bang yesterday afternoon. I went to the window to see, but then I realized it came from my television. It was the sound of the Denver Bronco defense imploding.

I guess I was mistaken, I simply assumed those random booms were the planes. I found this article and it says the noise concerns are from low flyovers, so I guess I'll join the ranks of the mystified as to what the booms are, I know they aren't trains, as the tracks are right across the street.

Air Force issues draft report on training airspace
Story

Associated Press | Posted: Friday, August 20, 2010 6:29 pm

Air Force issued a draft environmental impact statement
PIERRE, S.D. - The U.S. Air Force issued a draft environmental impact statement Friday on its plans to quadruple the airspace in which it can conduct training exercises with its B-1 and B-52 bombers stationed in the Dakotas.
The 496-page document looks at several options and outlines potential impacts dealing with noise, air quality, the use of land and the effect on both ground and air safety.
Expanding the training range could affect some commercial and civilian flights, but is unlikely to cause significant problems in air quality or harm water or soil in the area, according to the draft report, which also acknowledges noise from low-flying bombers could startle and annoy people, livestock and wild animals.
The Powder River Training Complex is centered just northwest of where South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana meet. The Air Force wants to expand the training area for B1-B Lancers from South Dakota's Ellsworth Air Force Base and B-52 Stratofortress bombers from North Dakota's Minot Air Force Base.
The expanded area would include a portion of southwestern North Dakota and additional areas of northwestern South Dakota and southeastern Montana.
The Air Force will hold 18 meetings to get public comment in South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming and Montana. Some civilian pilots are worried about additional air traffic, and some ranchers are worried low flyovers by the bombers will spook cattle and sheep.
No date has been announced for a final decision on the expansion.
Ellsworth Air Force Base will issue more information Monday on the draft environmental study, spokesman Maj. Matthew Reese said.
"We're looking at expanding the Powder River Training Area to about four times its current size, over primarily unpopulated areas," Reese said.
Because the current training space has limited capacity, the B-1 and B-52 bombers sometimes have to fly as far as Nevada for training exercises, Air Force officials have said. The expanded area would allow crews to operate closer to their bases as they practice bomb runs, defensive maneuvers and evasive actions that have been used in Iraq and Afghanistan, they have said.
The Air Force also could conduct large-scale training exercises in the airspace, but those would be limited to no more than one every three months.
Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said he is pleased the Air Force has issued a draft environmental assessment that takes note of earlier public comments. He said an expanded training space closer to Ellsworth Air Force Base would improve training and lower its cost.
"This training range plays an important role in keeping our military ready for combat, both in terms of ongoing operations in Afghanistan and preparing for future threats," Thune said in a written statement.

It has been mentioned before, but seeing a B-52 bomber in the middle of the day, tree top level, cruising down the Powder River and smoke belching out all 8 engines -- will absolutely scare the crap out of you.

Also, in the middle of the night, being in a car intercepted by a B-1 bomber at not much higher altitude, out in the sticks half way between Miles City and Colstrip, accomplishes the same effect.

When I was a kid, there used to be sonic booms all the time -- shaking the windows of my grade school in Billings. When I lived in California, I would hear the twin-sonic booms caused by the space shuttle when it landed there.

Only recently have I ever heard another, caused by two NG F-16 or whatever fighters scrambled out of Portland, who threw the afterburners on and managed to get up here in a very, very short amount of time, and accomplished quite the sonic boom in the process -- freaking everyone out in Seattle.

Time to form a posse.

Stayed up late watching a movie and just took my dog outside for the last time before bed and heard it. It sounded like a really loud explosion and I have no idea what direction it came from. Creepy.

Next time you hear it, look at your wristwatch. Post the time it happened.

That was the sound of The House swinging to the GOP.

Bill, it was right about 12:35pm. It sounded like one of those fireworks with just a bright flash and really loud boom.

Hear it @ different times, usually 9:30-12:30. After dark, tho. I haven't heard it as much lately.

I have heard it also and have wondered if it was coming from Western Powders? Or the airport? The noise sounds like an small explosion and comes from that area.

I live just a few blocks south of The Yellowstone off 7th and could not judge the direction of the sound. I did, however, look down towards the Lewis and Clark building to see if there was a large red glow in the sky!

My husband said he heard it the other night around midnight. He thought it sounded like a gun shot but louder.

Could the loud noises have something to do with this?


http://billingsgazette.co...03286.html

Nope, I have lived near air training facilities in Southern California. This was not an aircraft. Sounded more like ordnance.

Starting early tonight! 8:09, 8:10 and 8:11. What the heck is that?

Yes. Three tonight. Dogs are barking and woke my son up....again.

I think someone is shooting off aerial bombs?

Why doesn't someone call the police and see if they know anything about it? Surely, if it is as loud as you all seem to say it is someone has reported it and the police have investigated. Or maybe the Star should investigate and put everyone's minds at ease.

Another one at 10:27pm.

I also heard the same noises tonight.

It didn't seem quite as loud last night as some of them...?(didn't rattle the windows).

This thread reminds me of an old Steve Martin skit on SNL standing on the side walk looking at who knows what, and they kept saying,"What the hell is that?" Or was it, "What the hell is THAT?" or may it was"WHAT the HELL is that?"

Some one is up to no good I tells ya!

It must have been the one at 10:27 that woke me up last night.

That one was the loudest of the four I heard. Who would think this time of year you could have your front door open that late at night?

That Mill Murray and Steve Martin skit is one of the funniest I remember.

Glad I got to visit MC a couple of weeks ago (for the first time in years) because it sounds like it might not be there one of these days. I sure wouldn't be speculating--I would be finding out!!

For the 70's challenged

http://vids.myspace.com/i...d=50236871

For God's sake, call the frickin' police already!

I'll bet anything this is what's going on

Under proper atmospheric conditions glyophosate ladened optunia polycantha can explode and spread a little red organisms that destroys the ecosystem. Maybe that is the source of the noise.

Under proper atmospheric conditions glyophosate ladened optunia polycantha can explode and spread a little red organisms that destroys the ecosystem. Maybe that is the source of the noise.

Exploding cacti?! Seriously? That could be really dangerous.

This is getting hilarious. Thanks for the reminder about the SNL skit. For the longest time after that I often heard or said "what the hell is that?" aboard the warship I lived on...
Five bucks says this noise mystery is just someone having fun with you all. I remember how boring it gets there.

I wonder why cactus plains hasn't chimed in yet. Surely this has something to do with the poisoning of Eastern Montana's grasslands.

Is anyone still hearing the loud band or has it stopped?

My son & I were working outside a few days ago. We heard 3 loud explosions.

My guess: Pipe bombs / kids.

It sounded like the cannon used at the football games, only it had more punch to it as we were aways away.

It must be these guys breaking the sound barrier.

SOMEONE CALL THE GOD DAMN COPS!!!

I called the Police Chief a couple days ago and he said he hadn't heard anything about it.

Well, it's a long ways from the north side of the tracks to the Gallaghers - 4B's part of town.



[This message has been edited by Richard Bonine, Jr (11/10/2010)]

I don't live there now so I have no idea what the sounds are like, but I noticed this from a Google search:

http://www.newwest.net/to...C619/L619/

I didn't read much of it, but it has a map showing the area and it includes Miles City. Interestingly, it points out B-1 bombers do runs as low as 500 feet above ground, like Dave and I saw in the middle of the night. I'm pretty sure the SR-71 Blackbird was the one causing sonic booms when I was a kid. It has now been dismantled and destroyed. Also, AFAIK, the military is not supposed to go supersonic over land anymore unless necessary.

I doubt it is caused by any of that though. Perhaps it's (as already mentioned) just someone shooting off or blowing up stuff they shouldn't be.

My guess: Pipe bombs / kids.

Or a bored BigDryBug....

A few of you have mentioned the old Steve Martin/Bill Murray schtick. I have a true story to share.

Picture two college students strolling down Main Street on a sunny day in Gunnison, CO back in 1977. A young woman is window shopping as her 3-year old son hops around nearby. Just as the students approach them, the little boy steps in a wad of gum that some numnuts spit on the sidewalk. The little boy stops, lifts up his shoe, looks in stunned silence at the pink gooey mess attached to his shoe and quickly puts his foot down again. Then, just as the students pass by, the little boy lifts his foot up again and, in dead-on imitation of Steve Martin, wrinkles up his nose in disgust and exclaims, "EWWWWW! Wut da hell is dat???"

The mother stiffens, turns quickly around, looks down at her son and then at the students.

"Did my son say that?" she asks as her face reddens.

"Yep!" reply the students in unison.

The mother looks at her son and with a combination of shock, amusement and pride says, "That does it, Kiddo. No more Saturday Night Live for you."

[This message has been edited by Steve Craddock (11/10/2010)]

I'm not aware of any of the Blackbirds being purposely destroyed. The one I saw seven years ago in Florida was pretty much gutted but made a great display at an air museum. I was told at that time that several were mothballed in re-usable condition, the rest had been crashed long ago or were displayed somewhere. What a bird.

The SR-71 Blackbirds were purposely destroyed (as in having their guts removed) and the manufacturing facilities at Lockheed were completely destroyed (not the buildings, but everything else required to reproduce another one since the technology [even as old as it was] was deemed too dangerous for anyone to get their hands on). The remaining planes sit in museums.

SR-71 aircraft and disposition

SR-71 at Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, ArizonaList of SR-71 Blackbirds Serial number Model Location or fate
61-7950 SR-71A Lost, 10 January 1967
61-7951 SR-71A Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona
61-7952 SR-71A Lost, 25 January 1966
61-7953 SR-71A Lost, 18 December 1969[78]
61-7954 SR-71A Lost, 11 April 1969
61-7955 SR-71A Air Force Flight Test Center Museum, Edwards Air Force Base, California[79]
61-7956 SR-71B Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum, Kalamazoo, Michigan
61-7957 SR-71B Lost, 11 January 1968
61-7958 SR-71A Museum of Aviation, Warner Robins, Georgia
61-7959 SR-71A Air Force Armament Museum, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida[80]
61-7960 SR-71A Castle Air Museum, Atwater, California
61-7961 SR-71A Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center, Hutchinson, Kansas
61-7962 SR-71A American Air Museum in Britain, Imperial War Museum Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England[81]
61-7963 SR-71A Beale Air Force Base, Marysville, California
61-7964 SR-71A Strategic Air and Space Museum, Ashland, Nebraska
61-7965 SR-71A Lost, 25 October 1967
61-7966 SR-71A Lost, 13 April 1965
61-7967 SR-71A Barksdale Air Force Base, Bossier City, Louisiana
61-7968 SR-71A Virginia Aviation Museum, Richmond, Virginia
61-7969 SR-71A Lost, 10 May 1970
61-7970 SR-71A Lost, 17 June 1970
61-7971 SR-71A Evergreen Aviation Museum, McMinnville, Oregon
61-7972 SR-71A Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Washington Dulles International Airport, Chantilly, Virginia
61-7973 SR-71A Blackbird Airpark, Palmdale, California
61-7974 SR-71A Lost, 21 April 1989
61-7975 SR-71A March Field Air Museum, Riverside, California[82]
61-7976 SR-71A National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio
61-7977 SR-71A Lost, 10 October 1968
61-7978 SR-71A Lost, 20 July 1972[3]
61-7979 SR-71A Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas
61-7980 SR-71A Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California
61-7981 SR-71C Hill Air Force Base Museum, Ogden, Utah

Note: See Lockheed A-12, Lockheed YF-12 and Lockheed D-21/M-21 for other related blackbirds.

SR-71 at Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona

I saw this one. It looks fast even sitting under a shed. Seems kind of strange that they're still flying the U2's but this one is permanently grounded. There will probably never be another plane like this since the satellites do a better job nowadays.

It was just so horribly expensive to fly! There are some pretty interesting books available telling all about the Blackbird.
A friend of mine flies U-2 missions these days. He says it's because they need instant data, not the old news provided by satellites.

Part of the reason they are grounded I suspect, is that after the original fleet was built and some spare parts made, all the equipment used to make them was destroyed so no ,other country would learn anything about them by looking at or steeling these tools and dies. I remember reading an article about them after knowledge first came out about them, even what they were allowed to say was impressive, almost beyond belief.

It must be these guys breaking the sound barrier wind.

Wow! The Air Force has jets that will only create a sonic boom on the north side, down by the dike? I;m impressed!

Two tonight at 10:14 and 10:19.

Torpedoes at railcar Or oxyacetylene bread bags my guess is one or the other.

It sounds just like a rifle going off. Heard it last night also once about 10:10 and another at around 10:30. The sound was very lound and seemed to be coming from towards the Yellowstone Bridge/Airport direction. We can hear planes whenever they take off, and I did not hear any planes. Could it possibly be someone who in their "drunken" stupors during the night gets their kicks off by shooting a gun off. No point in calling the cops, if you don't have a clue where the sound is coming from I'm sure they can't do anything......

Haven't heard them all winter. Why would they start again,now? And no, its not because we are inside, with windows closed...you can hear it any way.

They were at it again last night. We heard two around 10:30 last night. I think whoever did it was in the city lot across from the dike. My husband went outside on the second one and saw a vehicle leaving the lot right after the second noise. They were loud as heck. It sent my dog under the bed.

I was going to revive this thread after last night, but I guess I don't have too. What the heck is this noise? I also heard it a couple nights ago around 8:30pm. I was just getting home with my son and we were still outside. It was so loud I thought someone was shooting at us.

Could someone be "hunting" at night?

Invite the cops over around those times and have a tape recorder....see what they think maybe??

It's no gun. It sounds like those sonic bomb type fireworks they shoot off on 4th of July. At least the one last night did.

I agree with those who said shot gun. That is what it sounds like to me.

http://www.usatoday.com/n...53699024/1

Maybe someone lighted a fart and it was bigger than the person realized it was going to be----------------BOOM!! :-)

Could it be.....Godzilla!?

Its the Moth Man!!

Keep an eye and ear out for falling bridges lol

[This message has been edited by Monica LN (3/25/2012)]

Western Powder testing new formulas?