10. Under The Eiffel Tower

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • American P-51 pilot William Overstreet Jr. gained fame for chasing a German Messerschmitt 109 under the Eiffel Tower during a 1944 dogfight.
  • In 1991, a Bonanza aircraft, with French government support, repeated Overstreet's feat to commemorate the original event.
  • The article suggests that many pilots have likely flown under the Eiffel Tower since WWI, though few have openly taken credit for the act.
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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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