FRENCHMAN ZIPS ACROSS CHANNEL ON ‘FLYBOARD’
AFP.COM, 4 AUGUST, 2019
A Frenchman who has spent years developing a jet-powered hoverboard zoomed across the English Channel on Sunday after a first attempt last month was cut short when he fell into the water while trying to refuel.
Franky Zapata set off on his “Flyboard” from Sangatte on the northern coast of France for the 20-minute trip to St. Margaret’s Bay in Dover, on England’s south coast.
Escorted by three helicopters, Zapata glided across the water in the early morning light and landed in the picturesque bay, where dozens of onlookers and journalists awaited him.
The five turbines on the former jet-ski champion’s craft propel him at speeds of up to 190 kilometres (118 miles) an hour, powered by a backpack full of kerosene that can keep him airborne for around 10 minutes.
This time the refuelling boat was bigger and had a larger landing area, and French navy vessels in the area kept an eye out in case of trouble.