Wow!

"vondon302" (vondon302) 04/30/2019 at 10:19 • Filed to: wingspan

4

15

I’ve never heard of this before.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Surpised he wasn’t put in jail. That was a ballsey maneuver.

facw > vondon302 04/30/2019 at 10:29

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Everyone knows if you want to fly your bomber excessively low over water, you need to at least show up the Navy if you don’t want to get in trouble:

ttyymmnn > vondon302 04/30/2019 at 10:29

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Holy shit. I mean, the B-47 was a real hot rod, but that’s just nuts. 

facw > vondon302 04/30/2019 at 10:32

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ttyymmnn has mentioned this a few times in his posts, but a somewhat similar maneuver (but with a smaller plane and a smaller gap): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker_Hunter_Tower_Bridge_incident

ttyymmnn > vondon302 04/30/2019 at 10:34

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“ Despite the blemish on his record, Lappo remained in the air force, serving as an aircraft maintenance officer in Vietnam and other bases.
After thirty years of service, he retired with honors as a lieutenant
colonel. Although he never again flew for the U.S. Air Force, Lappo
piloted his own private plane after moving to Alaska with his wife Olive
Kay (also from Muskegon).”

http://absolutemichigan.com/michigan/michigan-history-soaring-beneath-the-bridge/

vondon302 > ttyymmnn 04/30/2019 at 10:38

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I just can't imagine.

vondon302 > facw 04/30/2019 at 10:41

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This one I'd actually heard of. Shocked I never heard of this. Lived in Michigan all my life. I'll never look at that bridge the same.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > vondon302 04/30/2019 at 10:41

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The Memphis Belle was flown between two buildings near here, but B-47 under bridge is arguably a good bit hairier than B-17 building-buzzing.

Thomas Donohue > vondon302 04/30/2019 at 10:50

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Eh, I once saw the space shuttle go under the Verra zano Narrows. It was barely 10 feet above the water.

It did graze a wing during it’s journey, however.

TheRealBicycleBuck > vondon302 04/30/2019 at 10:52

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As you can see, it’s not just Gizmodo media who have a problem with sloppy editing:

“The B-47 could cruise at 550 miles and hour and carry 25,000 pounds of bombs.”

“ According to newspaper accounts at the time the entire incident went unreported and indeed nobody on the ground may have actually seen it.”

Which was then contradicted:

“Nevertheless Lappo was reported through the military chain of command and was brought before a court martial.”

It can’t be both unreported and reported.  I’m wondering if any of these authors bother to have someone check their work. Thank God they aren’t engineers.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > vondon302 04/30/2019 at 11:01

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“ nobody on the ground may have actually seen it”

If a pilot flies a B-47 under a bridge, but no one sees it, did it actually happen? 

vondon302 > TheRealBicycleBuck 04/30/2019 at 11:49

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Get out of here with your critical reading skills!

;)

DipodomysDeserti > TheRealBicycleBuck 04/30/2019 at 11:51

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Your analysis is indeed a good example of why I thank god journalists aren’t engineers.

DipodomysDeserti > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 04/30/2019 at 11:52

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Not until the FOIA request goes through.

DipodomysDeserti > vondon302 04/30/2019 at 11:57

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Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > DipodomysDeserti 04/30/2019 at 12:22

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Not sure they’d be any worse at it.....

;)