The flying soldier crossed the English Channel

Franky Zapata, born in Marseille 40 years ago, who had already tried this exploit in vain ten days ago, became the first man to cross the English Channel on a flying board, a device invented by him that allows him to 39, advance 190 kilometers to the hour.

On July 25, in commemoration of the 110th anniversary of the first flight that crossed the cbad, he made his first test. However, he fell to the water when he had to land on the ship to refuel.

Zapata is a former world water skiing champion who, in 2016, invented the "Flyboard", equipped with five reactors and controlled by a manual accelerator. "The flying soldier" was preparing for this technical and physical challenge for six months.

"Everything went well," he said, even in the most complicated cases, the need to refuel in the boat. "Then I saw that England was approaching and I tried to rejoice not to think about pain or leg burns," he told reporters. shortly after his arrival, paying tribute to "team work".

Zapata, who says "tired" and now needs "holidays", has other challenges in mind: finish his "flying car" but also "be the first to ride the dust in the air. clouds ". Fly much higher. After the congratulations, he cried when his grandson said on the phone, "You're the best, daddy!"

-> enjoys the strategic support of the French government

After his first unsuccessful attempt, Franky Zapata had to repair in his Marseille workshop the electronic components and engines of his machine, damaged during his fall. The former champion received a major showcase during the military parade of the National Day of France on July 14 at the Champs-Elysees in Paris. That day, in front of President Emmanuel Macron, he proposed a futuristic show: rifle in hand, he had flown several tens of meters from the ground with his invention "100% developed in France". His invention had already been shown in 2018 at the Defense Innovation Forum in Paris. This flying platform is of interest to the French special forces, who see it as a "potential for employment in special operations in urban areas". Since December 2018, his company Z-AIR has benefited from a 1.3 million euro grant from the French Armed Forces Ministry for the development of a new 3D printing turbine.