The World - News from Aug. 18, 1988

The British newspaper Today admitted that its story about a daredevil pilot making low-level flights over Paris was a hoax. “It was a complete and absolute spoof. It was a bit of summer fun,” deputy news editor Alastair Martin said of the story about the mystery pilot, nicknamed Le Baron, or Black Baron. The 458,000-circulation tabloid daily, owned by media magnate Rupert Murdoch, ran the fake story over an entire inside page, along with a photo of a man dressed as a pilot standing beside a light aircraft. The story gave no hint it had been made up, and Martin, in a telephone interview, refused to elaborate on why it was used. The story was picked up by wire services and got worldwide exposure.