Frenchman crosses the Channel on flyboard

A Frenchman has managed to cross the Channel between France and England on a flyboard. It was also his second attempt, after the interim refueling did not go well the first time.

It concerns Franky Zapata, who is known for flying his flyboard on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. His flyboard has a number of jet engines that run on kerosene; the fuel is in a backpack that Zapata carries on his back. The board was developed with the support of the French state, which invested about a million euros.

This morning at 8:15 AM, Zapata left France for his crossing of the Channel. Halfway through, he refueled on a ship, which failed on his first attempt last week and fell into the water. This time everything went well and twenty minutes after departure he landed in England.

The flyboard can reach a maximum speed of around 200 kilometers per hour. The maximum height that can be flown is 2 kilometers.