Fighter Planes Trace Bridge's Path
By Karen Gould

Thomas Ronczy and son Scott of Park Ridge, Illinois, watch as four F16 fighter jets fly parallel with the Mackinac Bridge as part of the 50th anniversary celebration Saturday.

Maybe in 50 years, when the Mackinac Bridge is 100 years old, sixyear old Scott Ronczy will return to the Straits of Mackinac and retell his stories of the bridge's 50th anniversary celebration.

Scott and his father, Thomas Ronczy, who where staying in Mackinaw City, took a morning bicycle ride to the Alexander Henry Park on North Huron Avenue Saturday, July 28. The park sits just east of Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse on the Lake Huron shoreline and offers sweeping views of the bridge, St. Ignace, and Mackinac Island.

The Ronczys arrived at the park in time to view four Michigan Air National Guard F16 fighters salute the Mackinac Bridge on its anniversary.

While waiting for the fly-over, Scott gathered rocks from the shoreline and waded into Lake Huron to build stone castles in the water. They were tapped by tiny waves as temperatures climbed into the 80s and winds were nearly calm.

"It's beautiful," said Mr. Ronczy, looking out over the Straits.

From Park Ridge, Illinois, they had visited the Western Upper Peninsula, but had not been to the Straits area before this weekend. Later in the day, they planned to take their bicycles to Mackinac Island before attending a wedding there.

Just after 10:30 a.m., Mr. Ronczy spotted the aircraft above the tree line in St. Ignace and he joined his son at the water's edge to watch them.

The planes flew from St. Ignace south to Mackinaw City, parallel to and approximately 1,000 feet east of the Mighty Mac, reported the Michigan Department of Transportation.

Lieutenant Penny Carroll, public affairs officer at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, where the F16s are based, said the jets were flown by Michigan pilots from the 107th Fighter Squadron. The pilots included flight leader Lt. Colonel Ross Dickinson, Captain Jon Rubin, Lt. Colonel John Nyquist, and Captain Erik Simpson.