- Title: “Just amazing!†spectators elated as French flying man crosses Channel
- Date: 4th August 2019
- Summary: DOVER, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (AUGUST 4, 2019) (REUTERS) FRENCH INVENTOR FRANKY ZAPATA FLYING IN AIR ON HOVERBOARD AS HE CROSSES ENGLISH CHANNEL, HELICOPTERS IN AIR ZAPATA IN AIR NEAR HELICOPTERS / ZAPATA GIVING THUMBS UP AS HE LANDS ON CLIFF HELICOPTER IN AIR PEOPLE GATHERED TO WATCH ZAPATA CROSS CHANNEL (SOUNDBITE) (English) LOCAL RESIDENT, HELEN REED, SAYING: "I really
- Embargoed: 18th August 2019 09:23
- Keywords: France Zapata succeeds jet-powered hoverboard English Channel Dover Sangatte French inventor Franky Zapata Britain landing flyboard
- Location: DOVER, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- City: DOVER, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Human Interest / Brights / Odd News,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA001AQSY7UV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Local residents in Dover were dazed as they watched a French inventor successfully cross the English Channel on Sunday (August 4) on a jet-powered hoverboard he designed.
"Just to see him in the distance with my little binoculars, it was just amazing," said local resident Helen Reed.
Zapata carried enough kerosene in his backpack to fuel the hoverboard for about 10 minutes of flight. He then strapped on a new supply from a boat for the second leg of his journey.
He took off from France at around 0620 GMT, making first for the refuelling vessel mid-way across the 35-km wide Strait of Dover.
A champion on jetski-powered waterboards, Zapata steers his Flyboard Air craft which flies at up to 140 km per hour by leaning forward or backward, and controls thrust with a throttle connected to his 1,500 horsepower board.
(Production: Iona Serrapica, Paul Hardy) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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