Bystanders near the Straits of Mackinac surely witnessed something remarkable on April 24, 1959.
That’s when Air Force Capt. John S. Lappo, a native of Muskegon, interrupted a calm Friday afternoon in the region by spontaneously flying a state-of-the-art Boeing B-47 jet underneath the Mackinac Bridge.
On this day in 1959, U.S. Air Force Captain John S. Lappo flew a RB-47E under the Mackinac Bridge. He was not permitted to fly for the airforce after that, but continued to serve for a total of thirty years. He retired with honors as a lieutenant colonel. He passed away in 2003.
According to an in-depth account of ordeal written by Danny K. Shepherd and posted by www.north-lights.com, Capt. Lappo and his crew were returning from a routine nighttime simulated bombing and celestial navigation mission when they emerged near the Mackinac Bridge.
Capt. Lappo, a veteran of countless dangerous missions, made a seemingly instant decision to fly the massive bomber underneath the bridge with just 155 feet of clearance.
Traveling at 425 mph with the help of his crew, Lappo navigated the plane above the whitecaps and emerged on the other side unscathed. He was later asked why he attempted such a risky stunt, according to Shepherd.
“Why do men climb mountains? Or what motivates them to go into space? It’s just a sense of adventure that some men have and some don’t,” he is quoted as saying in Shepherd’s article.
“I’ve always wanted to fly under a big bridge. I thought it would be the Golden Gate.”
The stunt was initially unreported but news eventually reached military brass. Unsurprisingly, the Air Force wasn’t thrilled with Lappo unnecessarily putting its expensive piece of military equipment at risk.
On August 10, 1959 it was preordained that he would be found guilty as charged at a general court-martial. He was accused of violating Article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Specifically Air Force regulation 60-16, according to Shepherd. At that time, it stated, “Except during take-off and landing, aircraft will not be flown at less than 500 feet above the ground or water.”
Despite the court ruling, Lappo was supported by many in the military and retired at the rank of Lt. Col in 1972. He remained highly regarded for his service until his death from Parkinson’s disease on Nov. 15, 2003 at the age of 83.
Source: Brandon Champion, “Michigan Air Force pilot flew bomber under Mackinac Bridge on this day in 1959“, MLive, April 24, 2017.