SANGATTE (Paris): French inventor Franky Zapata on Sunday succeeded in crossing the English Channel on a jet-powered hoverboard he designed, after a previous ended with him falling into the sea.

Standing on a platform powered by five small jet engines and carrying kerosene in a backpack, Zapata took off from Sangatte, just outside Calais in France at about 0617 GMT, trailed by three helicopters.

He reached Britain just over 20 minutes later, waving to onlookers before landing safely in Saint Margaret`s Bay, close to Dover on Britain`s southern coast, according to French television images.

"For the last five to six kilometres I just really enjoyed it," Zapata told reporters on arrival. "Whether this is a historic event or not, I`m not the one to decide that, time will tell."

"We made a machine three years ago...and now we`ve crossed the Channel, it`s crazy," he said, before breaking into tears.

Zapata`s biggest challenge was refuelling with another backpack halfway through the 35-km journey across the Strait of Dover, which required landing on a platform mounted on a boat.

On his first attempt to make the crossing on July 25, Zapata was knocked off balance in the process and fell. The inventor used a bigger boat and platform this time.

Zapata, who wowed crowds during France`s Bastille Day celebrations on July 14 by soaring over a military parade in Paris on the device, said on arrival that the hoverboard had reached speeds of 160 to 170 km per hour during the crossing. </s> Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Franky Zapata has become the first person to cross the English Channel on a flyboard.

French inventor Franky Zapata has made the first-ever successful Channel crossing on a jet-powered flyboard.

Mr Zapata, 40, took off from Sangatte, near Calais, at 06:17 GMT on Sunday and landed in St Margaret's Bay in Dover.

The invention, powered by a kerosene-filled backpack, made the 22-mile (35.4-km) journey in 22 minutes.

Mr Zapata, a former jet-ski champion, had failed in his first attempt to cross the Channel on 25 July after complications with refuelling.

"We made a machine three years ago... and now we've crossed the Channel, it's crazy," he told reporters, before breaking into tears.

"Whether this is a historic event or not, I'm not the one to decide that, time will tell," he added.

Image copyright AFP Image caption The French inventor successfully negotiated a refuelling stop and made the crossing to Dover

Mr Zapata told crowds in Dover that he had reached speeds of up to 170km/h (106mph) during the flight.

His greatest challenge had been to refuel by switching to another backpack during the crossing.

In his previous attempt, the Frenchman fell into the sea before reaching a boat that was carrying a second backpack.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Inventor Franky Zapata gets the Bastille Day parade off to a flying start

A larger boat and platform was used for this latest crossing, with an escort by three helicopters.

Mr Zapata received widespread attention during the annual Bastille Day parade in Paris last month, when he took part in a military display on his futuristic flyboard.

France's military has also sought to develop the technology for itself, and recently gave his company, Z-AIR, a €1.3m ($1.4m; £1.28m) grant.

In an interview with France Inter radio, French Defence Minister Florence Parly said the flyboard could serve several purposes, "for example as a flying logistical platform or, indeed, as an assault platform". </s> French inventor Franky Zapata has made history by completing the first successful Channel crossing on a jet-powered flyboard.

Zapata took off from Sangatte near Calais at 7:15am on Sunday and landed in St Margaret’s Bay in Dover around 25 minutes later – with the length of his actual flight spanning 22 minutes.

The 40-year-old former jet-ski champion made the 22-mile journey powered by his kerosene-filled backpack, averaging a speed of 87mph at 50-65 feet above the sea.

He managed to steer his Flyboard aircraft by leaning forwards or backwards, and controlled the thrust with a throttle attached to his 1,5000 horsepower board.

Zapata has spent the past three years developing his hoverboard, and remained undeterred after losing two fingers in it’s turbines during an initial flight in his garage near Marseilles.

However, the Frenchman’s first attempt, which you can watch below, did not deliver the hoped-for flying start across the Channel.

His mission failed on 25 July, the 110th anniversary of Louis Bleriot’s 1909 Channel crossing, which was the first instance anyone had crossed the water in a “heavier-than-air” aircraft.

Refuelling complications meant Zapata fell into the sea before reaching a boat that was carrying a second backpack.

On completing his successful second attempt he told reporters: “We made a machine three years ago… and now we’ve crossed the Channel, it’s crazy.”

The inventor then broke down in tears before adding, “whether this is a historic event or not, I’m not the one to decide that, time will tell.”

Crowds at Dover heard that speeds of up to 170km/h (106mph) were reached during the flight.

Zapata’s main obstacle was refuelling. During his journey he carried enough kerosene in his backpack to power the hoverboard for 10 minutes in the air, but needed a new supply for the second half of his journey and switched backpack.

He was escorted by three helicopters, and a larger boat and platform were used than in his initial attempt.

Zapata’s wife Krysten told Sky News that she was “very happy” to witness her husband’s success, adding he was “very tired” after working such long hours to achieve his dream.

She said: “Everything is perfect…This is his day.”

Last month Zapata received global acclaim during the annual Bastille Day parade in Paris, when his hoverboard featured as part of a military display.

The French military have also tried to develop the technology for itself, allocating his company Z-AIR, a £1.8m grant.

French Defence Minister Florence Parly said in an interview with France Inter radio that the flyboard could serve multiple purposes, such as “a flying logistical platform or, indeed, as an assault platform”. </s> After a failed attempt at the end of July, French inventor Franky Zapata successfully crossed the English Channel early this morning on his Flyboard Air, a jet-powered hoverboard.

Zapata departed from Sangatte, France and arrived in Dover, England 22 minutes later, reaching speeds of up to 106 miles per hour during the 22-mile trip. “We made a machine three years ago,” he said after landing, “and now, we’ve crossed the Channel, it’s crazy.”

The Guardian reports that the trip wasn’t a continuous one: because he only carried a 10-minute supply of fuel on his back, he had to make a pit stop at the halfway mark to refuel.

This was Zapata’s second attempt to cross the Channel: his first attempt at the end of July ended in failure when he fell into the water while trying to land on the refueling platform. He and his team chalked up the crash to the size of the waves during the landing attempt, forcing him to miss the edge of the platform by centimeters. After the crash, he said that they would make the attempt once again, this time using a slightly different route and a larger refueling platform.

Zapata invented the Flyboard in 2011, a device that uses a water jet to propel the rider through the air behind a boat. He later invented the Flyboard Air, a board powered by four turbo jet engines that allows a rider to fly through the air untethered, using a computer to keep it stabilized. In 2016, Zapata set a world record for the farthest hoverboard flight after he flew the Flyboard Air along the south coast of France for 2,252 meters (About 1.4 miles).

The inventor made headlines in the middle of July when he appeared over crowds during France’s Bastille Day celebrations carrying a gun, a demonstration of some of the uses that the device could have. There has been some interest from the defense industry in the vehicle: defense contractor Implant Sciences had planned to acquire Zapata’s company, Zapata Industries (although that deal later fell through) and France’s defense and procurement agency granted Zapata a €1.3m grant in 2018 to help with the development of the vehicle.

Zapata isn’t the only person working on this sort of jet-powered personal transportation: English inventor Richard Browning developed a jet suit that allows the wearer to fly with six turbo-engines strapped to their arms, something he’s demonstrated to with everyone from the British Royal Marines, to Adam Savage. </s> Franky Zapata: French hoverboard inventor successfully crosses the Channel for the first time

Franky Zapata: French hoverboard inventor successfully crosses the Channel for the first time

Franky Zapata takes off for his second attempt of crossing the Channel aboard his hovercraft

A French inventor has successfully crossed the Channel on his jet-powered hoverboard for the first time.

Franky Zapata took off from Sangatte in northern France at 7.15am BST on Sunday, and landed at St Margaret's Bay in Dover around 25 minutes later.

It was the second attempt at the 21-mile crossing for the inventor, who failed his first effort back in July after encountering problems at a refuelling station.

But after making some necessary changes to his refuelling arrangements, the 40-year-old former jet ski champion was able to make his second attempt a success.

During the journey, Mr Zapata was carrying enough kerosene in his backpack to fuel the hoverboard for about 10 minutes in the air, but needed to strap on a new supply for the second leg of his journey.

He steered his Flyboard aircraft, which flies at up to 87mph, by leaning forwards or backwards, and controlled thrust with a throttle connected to his 1,500 horsepower board.

The invention won global acclaim when Mr Zapata flew over France's Bastille Day celebrations in Paris on 14 July, with French President Emmanuel Macron later tweeting a video of his exploits.

Mr Zapata was given a grant of more than £1m from the French government to develop the technology behind his hoverboard.

His failed attempt was on the 110th anniversary of Louis Bleriot's 1909 Channel crossing - the first time anyone had crossed the Channel in a "heavier-than-air" aircraft. </s> Franky Zapata, known as the “Flying Frenchman,” became the first person on Sunday to cross the English Channel on a jet-propelled hoverboard.

The Telegraph reported that Zapata, who took off in Calais, France and landed in Dover, England 23 minutes later exclaimed, “This feels magnificent.”

Zapata flew across the 22-mile Channel moving at an average speed of 87 mph approximately 50 feet above the water on a hoverboard he designed himself. The hoverboard was fueled by a backpack containing kerosene to keep him in the air for about 10 minutes. He stopped to swap backpacks on a boat which took approximately two minutes.

Mr. Zapata was accompanied by three helicopters, while ships from the French Navy were on lookout as the Channel is a major shipping route between the U.K. and mainland Europe.

The “Flying Frenchman,” originally from Marseille, enthusiastically stated that this flight luckily had no problems, and he wanted to thank his supporters.

“Thanks so much to my team, and my wife. For the last five or six kilometres I just really enjoyed it. Whether this is a historic event or not, I’m not the one to decide that, time will tell. We made a machine three years ago… and now we’ve crossed the Channel.”

Zapata, 40, is a former jet ski champion and army reservist who tried this feat before and got sidelined when he fell into the sea when trying to refuel 10 days ago.

On Sunday, his team said the weather was perfect, and his “Flyboard” was repaired from the last effort and ready to go. The daredevil believes that his invention will be game-changing for the military, and the feeling when flying is something out of a dream.

The Verge stated that after his last attempt to cross the English Channel, Zapata and his team tweaked his route and made his refueling platform larger for his landing at the midpoint. He invented the original Flyboard in 2011, and then the Flyboard Air powered by turbojets.

While Zapata has been working on his invention in France, British inventor Richard Browning has developed a jet suit on the other side of the channel. With Browning’s invention, a person can fly with six turbo-engines strapped to their arms. </s> A Frenchman who has spent years developing a jet-powered hoverboard zoomed across the English Channel on Sunday, fulfilling his quest just 10 days after failing in a first attempt 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 at 8:17 am (0617 GMT) for the 35-kilometre (22-mile) trip to St. Margaret's Bay in Dover, on England's south coast.

Escorted by three helicopters, he glided across the water in the early morning light and landed 22 minutes later in the picturesque bay, where dozens of onlookers and journalists awaited him.

"Everything went great! Even though it was still tricky," Zapata said after the flight, referring to a complex landing manoeuvre on a boat around three-quarters of the way across to pick up a fresh backpack full of kerosene.

He said that based on the indicators in the visor of his helmet, he raced over the busy shipping lane at a speed of 160-170 km/h (100-105 mph), doing zig-zags as he neared the coast.

"Then I saw England getting closer, so I tried to have some fun so I could forget the pain -- my legs were on fire!" he said.

He later broke down in tears of emotion while talking on the telephone to his son, who told him, "Dad, you're the best!"

"Frankly, I'm tired," he said later. "I need a holiday."

Zapata, a 40-year-old former jet-ski champion, first tried to make the crossing on July 25, to coincide with the 110th anniversary of Louis Bleriot's historic first crossing of the Channel by plane.

But the bid was cut short when he tumbled into the water after failing to land on a boat to refuel -- his backpack carries some 35 kilogrammes (77 pounds) of kerosene, enough to keep him aloft for around 10 minutes.

Asked if he considered himself Bleriot's successor, Zapata told BFM television later Sunday: "It's not really comparable, he was one of the first men to fly."

"Let's just say that I achieved my dream." </s> (ABC NEWS)–Just 10 days after a failed first try ended with Franky Zapata up to his neck in water, the French jet-ski champion successfully crossed the English Channel on his self-made “flyboard” Sunday morning.

Taking off at 8:17 a.m. local time, he flew across the 21.7 miles that separate the French town of Sangatte from Saint Margaret’s at Cliffe on the southeast British coast. The trip took a total of 22 minutes — with one refueling stop in the middle.

The French inventor’s flight came 110 years after famous pioneering pilot Louis Blériot flew the first plane across the Channel in 1909.

Zapata became known as the “flying soldier” when he showed off his invention before the world’s media at France’s annual Bastille Day military parade on July 14.

At a press conference on Saturday, Zapata said he felt much more confident off success than his failed journey just over a week ago. On July 25, Zapata had launched near Sangatte Beach on his flying board, but had to abandon the challenge when he dropped a few minutes later into English waters after hitting the supply boat platform at very low speed.

Halfway across the Channel, his wife Krystel Zapata got notice that her husband had successfully landed on the refueling platform. It took Zapata a couple of minutes to refuel his bag with kerosene and take off again.

Zapata arrived on British soil at 8:38 a.m., landing on a platform in a field at the top of a cliff. He thanked his wife, his family and his team upon landing. He also thanked the two British women who own the field he landed on.

“Well done! Our land is your land, come anytime,” said one of the women.

Zapata spoke to the assembled French television networks in Saint Margaret’s, explaining that landing on the stage of the refueling boat was still very tricky. They had planned for the boat to remain still, but it was “impossible,” he said, as the boat moved along with the waves.

“Once I managed to stick my heels into the boat, I knew I had done 90% of the work,’’he told French outlet BFMTV.

The flyboard cruised along at just over 100 mph throughout the nearly 22-mile trip.

“At the end my thighs started burning,” said Zapata, “but I just told myself, ‘No, you need to enjoy this now.’ I just went 20 kilometers per hour faster — let’s go!”

Zapata burst into tears when his interview was interrupted by a call from his 9 year-old son, Matt. </s> A French inventor has succeeded in crossing the Channel on a jet-powered hoverboard, telling journalists upon his touchdown that he had achieved his dream.

Franky Zapata managed the feat on Sunday morning on his second attempt, after being knocked off balance during his first try last month.

The 40-year-old set off on his Flyboard from Sangatte in the Pas de Calais region on the northern coast of France at about 6.17am for the 22-mile (35km) journey to St Margaret’s Bay, beyond the white cliffs of Dover.

Escorted by three helicopters, he completed the crossing in 22 minutes, reaching speeds of up to 110mph (177km/h) flying 15-20 metres (50-65ft) above the water. He arrived into the bay to the applause of dozens of onlookers and journalists.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Crowds turn out to watch Zapata take off from Sangatte on Sunday. Photograph: Denis Charlet/AFP/Getty Images

Zapata’s hoverboard was powered by a backpack containing enough paraffin to keep him airborne for about 10 minutes, which he had to stop to refuel halfway through the journey.

“I’m feeling happy ... it’s just an amazing moment in my life,” he said following his touchdown in Britain. “The last 10% [of the flight] was easier ... because I had the time to look at the cliffs.”

Zapata said the strong winds in the Channel had posed one of the biggest challenges, explaining his technique of bending into gusts. He said there was a risk of being destabilised if the wind died down quickly.

He said the flight involved high levels of physical endurance. “It’s an isometric exercise for the thighs, so it burns – it’s quite hard. But you recover quickly, it’s not like riding a bicycle,” he said.

“Your body resists the wind, and because the board is attached to my feet, all my body has to resist to the wind. I tried to enjoy it and not think about the pain.”

During his first attempt – on the 25 July to coincide with the 110th anniversary of the first crossing of the Channel by plane – the former jetski champion fell into the sea as he tried to land on a vessel to refuel.

A member of his team said the movement of the waves required perfect timing and the landing platform had shifted a few centimetres as Zapata came down. The refuelling boat used on Sunday was bigger, with a larger landing area, and French navy vessels were on hand to keep an eye out in case of trouble.

Speaking ahead of his journey, Zapata said he was concerned his team had not had enough time to repair the machine after it was damaged in the first attempt. They reportedly worked 15-16 hours a day to get it ready for Sunday’s trip.

“Normally we test the machines for several weeks before big events. Here, it’s a little bit worrying to be using a machine that has just been rebuilt,” he said.

Zapata has been developing his hoverboard for the past three years, undeterred by losing two fingers in its turbines during its maiden flight in his garage near Marseille.

He delighted crowds in Paris on 14 July – Bastille Day – by flying over a military parade on the Place de la Concorde in the presence of the French president, Emmanuel Macron, and the German chancellor, Angela Merkel.

His Flyboard has also attracted the attention of the French military, which in December gave Zapata’s company, Z-AIR, a €1.3m (£1.19m) development grant. He has said his invention wasn’t quite ready for military use because of the noise it makes and the hours required to learn to fly it.

Zapata eventually hopes to use his hoverboard to fly much higher, something that would require him to carry a parachute, guidance equipment and possibly an oxygen tank. He is also developing an idea for a flying car.

Asked on Sunday if he considered himself the successor of Louis Blériot, who made the first aeroplane flight across the channel, Zapata told BFM television: “It’s not really comparable, he was one of the first men to fly. Let’s just say that I achieved my dream.”
French inventor Franky Zapata successfully crosses the English Channel on the jet-powered Flyboard Air. The 22-mile (35.4-km) journey took 22 minutes with one refueling stop about halfway to Dover, England.