Champion of THE SKIES
France|May 2020
Janet Brice reveals how flying ace Roland Garros became the toast of French tennis
Janet Brice
Champion of THE SKIES

Tennis ace Rafael Nadal will be defending his title on the clay courts of the French Open this month. But did you know the legendary Parisian venue Stade Roland Garros is named after a flying ace and not a sportsman?

Today, Roland Garros is synonymous with tennis in France. But you may be surprised to learn the young Eugène Adrien Roland Georges Garros was not an avid tennis player but an aviation pioneer.

One of his most memorable exploits was a 737km flight from Saint-Raphaël in the French Riviera to Bizerte in Tunisia. Despite two engine failures experienced by his Morane-Saulnier monoplane, he landed after nearly eight hours with just five litres of fuel left in his tank!

Talk of the town

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