Friday was a big day for Surrey youngster Ethan Fritz 鈥� after months of separation due to pandemic-related border restrictions, he got to see his daddy.
Well, sort of.
One thing is for certain: the visit 鈥� in the form of a U.S. Air Force transport plane over White Rock Pier 鈥� caught the attention of waterfront residents and visitors.
Mystery -- this grey jet just flew over White Rock's waterfront doing a 360掳 turn above the pier at about 200 feet.
鈥� Ken Wuschke (@KenWuschke)
It was grey with no visible markings
Presently flying due south into the States.
Acknowledging it likely took at least a few people off-guard 鈥� one woman who called Peace Arch News described the unexpected sighting of the 鈥渉uge鈥� craft as 鈥渟o close鈥� so scary鈥� 鈥� Ethan鈥檚 mom Alyssa Fritz said there simply wasn鈥檛 time to spread the word in advance.
鈥淚 was in-between if it was a good or a bad idea,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 pass it up, my son seeing his dad.
鈥淲e all went out of our way to make it happen.鈥�
Four-year-old Ethan has only seen his dad, Lt.-Col. TK Minzak, through video calls since his birthday in early March, Fritz explained, and the separation has been difficult for someone so young to understand.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e four, it鈥檚 really hard,鈥� she said.
鈥淲ith the way things are and just the job that his dad does鈥� it doesn鈥檛 look like we鈥檒l be able to see him anytime soon.鈥�
Minzak, who is originally from Texas, is a pilot for Alaska Airlines and flies reserve for the U.S. Air Force, Fritz continued. Pre-pandemic, she and Ethan routinely travelled to Seattle for family visits.
But that all came to an end in March.
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Thursday night, however, Fritz received news that Minzak had organized a special visit for Ethan 鈥� permission to do a low-level fly-by of the White Rock Pier in the C17 transport plane he was piloting for a training exercise.
Ethan, his mom and several family members gathered at the end of the pier for the occasion. Minzak was to approach from the direction of Point Roberts and make two passes before returning to U.S. air space.
As the plane appeared in the distance, the excitement built.
鈥淟ook, just for you,鈥� Fritz exclaimed to Ethan as the plane came in for its first pass and did a 鈥榳ing wiggle鈥� greeting. 鈥淗e鈥檚 waving.鈥�
After, Fritz said Ethan couldn鈥檛 wait to share the experience with his friends at daycare.
鈥淗e was just so happy and excited,鈥� she said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not like a deployment,鈥� she noted of Minzak鈥檚 absence. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like, his dad is right there and we just can鈥檛 get to him.
鈥淭oday, it was like a visual 鈥� 鈥榤y daddy鈥檚 there.鈥欌��
tholmes@peacearchnews.com
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