Breaking the Sound Barrier with the Fastest Man on Land

The Convex Conversation

When Wing Commander Andy Green OBE broke the sound barrier in a supersonic jet car in 1997, he became the fastest person on land – a world record he still holds, almost three decades on.

Andy explains the risks involved, the spectacularly small mathematical margins for error, lessons learned, and reveals the thrills of driving more than 763 mph across Nevada’s Black Rock Desert in the British-designed Thrust SSC - 54ft long, weighing 10 tons and featuring two military jet engines.

Even NASA thought the attempt would push the limits too far and end in failure. But the former RAF fighter pilot was part of a world-class team, led by the previous land speed record-holder Richard Noble OBE and the brilliant aerodynamicist Ron Ayres, and achieved the unthinkable.