Passenger captures shockwave on the wing of plane he's flying on in rare footage
Published on Sep 19, 2025 at 11:48 AM (UTC+4)
by Molly Davidson
Last updated on Sep 19, 2025 at 1:00 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
A passenger on a Boeing 787-9 filmed strange ripples moving across the wing and couldn’t figure out what it was.
He thought they might be shadows or reflections and even moved his phone to double-check. The plane was flying straight and level, yet the effect stayed.
Now Reddit has come through with the answer: the ripple was a shockwave.
At Mach 0.85, airflow over the wing can accelerate past Mach 1, creating the shimmering waves he caught on camera.
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Molly Davidson is a Junior Content Writer at Supercar Blondie. Based in Melbourne, she holds a double Bachelor’s degree in Arts/Law from Swinburne University and a Master’s of Writing and Publishing from RMIT. Molly has contributed to a range of magazines and journals, developing a strong interest in lifestyle and car news content. When she’s not writing, she’s spending quality time with her rescue English staffy, Boof.
