Aviation school on the roof of the Galeries Lafayette

École d’aviation sur le toit des Galeries Lafayett 

The first ever airplane successfully landed on a city building rooftop in 1919. As part of a publicity stunt on the eve of the Golden Age of aviation, the Galerie Lafayette organised a competition, challenging the most adventurous of pilots to land a plane on the roof of their store for a prize of 25000 Francs. Only thirty metres above the bustling streets of Paris, the potentially disastrous challenge was quickly condemned by authorities, forbidding anyone to attempt the feat. This wasn’t enough to deter aviator Jules Védrines from making his attempt. On the 19th of January, the dare devil pilot successfully landed on the roof terrace of the Galeries Lafayette, making him the first aviator in history to land on top of a building. Six francs of his prize money was deducted however for landing in a prohibited area of the roof (and no doubt causing some damage).