10. Under The Eiffel Tower

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • American P-51 pilot William Overstreet Jr. famously chased a German Messerschmitt 109 under the Eiffel Tower in a 1944 dogfight.
  • This historic flight was commemorated in 1991 when a Bonanza aircraft repeated the maneuver with support from the French government.
  • Flying under the Eiffel Tower has been done by multiple pilots since at least World War I, though most did not publicize their feats.
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To commemorate a famous 1944 dogfight, in which American P-51 pilot and fighter ace William Overstreet Jr. chased a Messerschmitt 109 under the Eiffel Tower, a Bonanza in 1991 repeated the feat, with support from the French government. How many pilots have flown under the arch of the tower? Probably more than a few. It has been done since at least since WWI, and few of the pilots who have done so stepped up to take credit for the feat. 

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