Frenchman flies over English Channel on homebrew jet-powered hoverboard

On his previous attempt, the pilot fell into a sea while attempting to refuel.

French inventor and jet ski racer Franky Zapata has succeeded in his quest to cross the English Channel on a jet-powered hoverboard.

Known as the Flyboard Air, the platform integrates five small gas turbine engines that are typically used for radio-controlled aircraft. Zapata uses his body motion to maneuver the board, while throttle is controlled by hand.

A backpack full of fuel only provides around 10 minutes of flight time, requiring a refueling stop on a boat in the middle of the channel. His first attempted in July failed after he fell into the sea during the refueling attempt.

After obtaining a larger refueling platform, the pilot succeeded over the weekend. He flew from Sangatte, France, to Saint Margaret's Bay on Britain's southern coast in around 20 minutes.

"Whether this is a historic event or not, I'm not the one to decide that, time will tell," he told reporters, as quoted by Reuters. "We made a machine three years ago ... and now we've crossed the Channel, it's crazy."