GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Everyone’s seen a flyover, right? The fighter jets are scheduled to fly over the stadium just as the singer of the national anthem finishes the lyrics, “home of the brave.”
But have you ever heard of a military flyover?
It’s not a technical term. Merriam-Webster doesn’t acknowledge that it’s a real word, and the U.S. military would like to pretend it never happened, but there has been at least one recorded military overflight: when a pilot from West Michigan flew his Air Force B-47. Bombardier Stratojet under the Mackinac Bridge.
There aren’t many confirmed details on file, but it happened. John Lappo of Muskegon lived history. And while the Air Force may have nothing to say about it, the story of the late Lappo lives on 65 years after the controversial flight.
‘I take her under’
On April 24, 1959, Captain Lappo, then 39 years old and a 12-year Air Force veteran, rose early to participate in a simulated night bombing run. As the crew flew near the Straits of Mackinac, en route to Lockbourne Air Force Base in Ohio, Lappo decided to live out one of his pilot fantasies.
Lappo admitted to the Detroit Free Press in 1976 that he had always wanted to fly under a bridge.
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“When I was flying missions in the Far East, I was a co-pilot and I wanted to fly under the Golden Gate at night. But I couldn’t convince the pilot to do it,” he admitted.
This time, at the helm, he decided to have fun. He told his two crew members, “I’ll take care of her.” »
Lappo said everyone was excited about the idea except his navigator, who warned him against it.
To be fair to the browser, he was right. There are many reasons not to do this.
On the one hand, you are needlessly putting lives at risk – those of the people on board the plane and on the bridge. Second, if you damage government property, whether it’s the million-dollar bomber or the Mackinac Bridge, you open yourself up to a lot of trouble. And third, it’s illegal.
Need another excuse? It’s a death-defying feat. Not to mention the science that allows a giant piece of metal to rise to great heights and speeds. The Mackinac Bridge, connecting lower Michigan to its Upper Peninsula, hangs about 150 feet above the sound. A B-47 is nearly 28 feet tall with a wingspan of 116 feet and would arrive at breakneck speed. There is little margin for error.
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Yet Lappo continued.
He remembers there were only two vehicles on the bridge at the time: a car and a truck, both heading north toward St. Ignace. While the day was clear and sunny, he flew in a “strong breeze” that kicked up the “whiteheads” across the strait. Lappo dove, stabilized at about 75 feet, and made his legendary pass under the Mighty Mac. The rest is history.
A FLIGHT TO REMEMBER
No cameras filmed the stunt. It didn’t even make the local news. However, word of mouth spread through the ranks. Eventually, the higher-ups got wind of it.
Do you remember this browser? Lappo believes he was the one who denounced him, telling the Free Press: “I didn’t know at the time that his father was a general and that he was going to denounce me when we returned. »
Lappo was grounded in more ways than one. The Muskegon native faced a court-martial, during which he admitted to his antics. Several character witnesses were presented in an attempt to save face, testifying not only to Lappo’s skill and bravado, but also to his integrity, highlighted by the fact that he confessed to the accusations.
One colonel called Lappo a “man’s man” and said that “he can serve with me anytime and anywhere.” Another military leader said he had never met a better pilot. Yet another described the stunt as dangerous in the hands of an amateur, but for a professional like Lappo it was “no more difficult or riskier than taking off your boots at night.”
Strategic Air Command removed Lappo from flying duties and fined him $300 to be paid in monthly installments of $50. His salary was also reduced from $860 to $660 per month.
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In December of the same year, the SAC confirmed its decision. Lappo would never fly for the Air Force again.
Even though he was grounded, his military career was not over. A 2017 profile by MLive indicates that Lappo served in the Air Force for another 18 years before retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 1972.
He lived the second half of his life in Alaska. He didn’t have a B-47 bomber, but Lappo had smaller planes that he again used to roam the skies.
Before Lappo’s death in 2003, writer Kenny Shepherd pressed him again. Why take the risk? Why put your career – and your life – on the line?
“Why do men climb mountains? Or what motivates them to go to space? » said Lapo. “It’s just a sense of adventure that some men have, and some men don’t.”
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