CBS
A French daredevil who spent years developing a jet-powered hoverboard zoomed across the English Channel on Sunday, fulfilling his quest after pulling off a tricky re-fuelling maneuver that had cut short his first attempt 10 days ago. Franky Zapata blasted off on his “Flyboard” from Sangatte on the northern coast of France at 8:17 am for the 22-mile trip to St. Margaret’s Bay in Dover, England.
Escorted by three helicopters, he soared across the water in the early morning light and landed 22 minutes later in the picturesque bay, to the applause of dozens of onlookers and journalists. More
Tim, over at NCIS, will be crestfallen, his jetpack is outdated.
If you watch the video, at the end, the news bimbo says that “we should probably regulate them.” They just can’t help themselves. They fear a free population.
Was it a painted, pygmy pony hoverboard…
I Did it a few Years back…
I dunno’ man…… is it really a crossing if you stop halfway? Louis Bleriot didn’t stop for refueling when he did it in 1909
And then there was the Gossamer Condor. No refueling stop either.
Actually it was the Gossamer Albatross, the Condor’s successor, which crossed the Channel.
So, where’s my flying car? I want to drive to Hawaii.
OMG! Mexican illegal alien fleeing Muzz persecution lands in UK, refuses asylum.
(Ten minutes after Zapata arrived in the UK he hooked up with a coyote who agreed to smuggle him into Cuba from where he will boogie board to Key West.)
This will make for even faster retreats!
Where’s my jetpack?
I’m all for advances in aviation technology. I think its super impressive how we can build lil’ jets capable of flying 10 miles or so with a person on top of them.
I’m just a stickler for the fine details. Maybe in 5 years when he can do it non stop. Now, THAT would be impressive and worthy of the aviation history books.
No credit given Marty McFly?
That’s very cool but I’m afraid in the coming months you’ll be seeing videos of guys standing on their homebuilt hoverboard pressing the ignition and blowing up. Or guys about 60 or 100 feet in the air traveling at 80 mph suddenly heel over and auger in. Or guys speeding away never to be seen or heard from again. Or guys hitting birds at speed and not surviving their brush with nature. Or guys flying straight into cliff faces or crowds watching from below.
I know, I just see the bad side of things but look at all these internet challenges that were not only stupid but dangerous and the amount of people that still tried them. The world is filled with tinkerers that will give this a try and there will be bad things happen to more then a few.
Republicans: What an impressive display of aeronautical engineering
Democrats: I BET YOU COULD SHOOT A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM WAY UP HIGH.
The fence jumpers will now deploy Mexican space shuttles to get over the fence.