Author Topic: Michigan Air Force pilot flew bomber under Mackinac Bridge on this day in 1959  (Read 1549 times)

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Offline Cripplecreek

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http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2017/04/michigan_air_force_pilot_flew.html#incart_river_home_pop

MACKINAW CITY, MI - Bystanders near the Straits of Mackinac surely witnessed something remarkable on this day in 1959.

That's when Air Force Capt. John S. Lappo interrupted a calm Friday afternoon in the region by spontaneously flying a state-of-the-art Boeing B-47 jet underneath the Mackinac Bridge.

A native of Muskegon who had an otherwise distinguished career in World War II, Korea, and flying spy planes over Russia, the stunt cost Lappo his wings.

He never flew for the Air Force again.




Offline Smokin Joe

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That is a pretty high bridge. There was plenty of room for a bomber under there, and while a neat stunt (I'm not slighting it), I don't think they should have grounded him over it.. I have looked down on the back of B-52s doing nape of the earth maneuvers in the badlands from the drill floor of an oil rig.  That's awesome.
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Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.

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Offline Cripplecreek

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That is a pretty high bridge. There was plenty of room for a bomber under there, and while a neat stunt (I'm not slighting it), I don't think they should have grounded him over it.. I have looked down on the back of B-52s doing nape of the earth maneuvers in the badlands from the drill floor of an oil rig.  That's awesome.

My mother's cousin was on track to become an astronaut till he ditched an F-105 in the Atlantic off the east coast. It was ruled a mechanical failure and didn't cost him his wings but it did kill his chances with NASA. He spent another 20 years or so with the Air Force.

His brother was a chopper pilot in Vietnam. When he returned he was done flying by his own choice left the military and became a fireman and Biker.

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Back in 68 or so I was delivering newspapers after school when a local F-4 Phantom pilot on his way somewhere took a detour and did several low altitude passes over his home town.  It was pretty cool.  The town folk and the AF were not as amused.  Not sure what happened to him and I'm still trying to find the newspaper article about it.

Offline Joe Wooten

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Back when we were building Comanche Peak, some AF reserve boys decided to re-enact the Israeli raid on the Iraqi nuke plant and did a low level, less than 200 ft0 buzz over the containment domes of the plant. As they flew over, they lit the afterburners on their F-16's and did a vertical climb, rattling every window on the site. Almost everyone thought it was pretty cool, except for the ex-admiral sub driver who was in charge of the plant. He called up the Colonel in command of Carswell AFB and proceeded to royally chew his ass out.... 22222frying pan

 :silly: