An Attempt to Fly Under the Eiffel Tower

In 1984, 38-year-old American Bob Moriarty was a veteran of two years in Vietnam and 824 missions as a Marine F-4B pilot and O-1C/G Forward Air Controller.  But he still had a healthy appetite for danger—or, depending on your perspective, unhealthy.  After a couple bottles of wine one night, he decided to fly underneath the Eiffel Tower.

On March 31, 1984, at Paris's Le Bourget Airport, home to Lindbergh's landing some 60 years earlier, Moriarty took off in a Beech V-35 Bonanza (35-foot wingspan).  He'd filed a flight plan to Shannon, Ireland, but neglected to mention the unique route he intended to take.

Let's go to the videotape, shot from cockpit:

keith thomson1 Comment