Moustache Johnny
Some of us may still feel a little robbed by the visionary’s behind “Back to Future 2.” Well, we expected more from the future! The dismal cloud of lackluster transportation options has hung heavy for decades, but it’s starting to clear. Finally, though, the skies may be clearing. Doing so just in time for 40-year-old Frenchman Franky Zapata to rip through them on his insane new Flyboard.
Franky Zapata is a French jet ski champion and the inventor of the Flyboard. The jet-powered hoverboard was recently flown over the English Channel. The trip took Zapata from Sangatte, France to St Margaret’s at Cliffe, England — a distance of 22 miles.
On August 4th Zapata made it on his second attempt. His first run was cut short by equipment damage from turbulence. The first attempt took place on July 25th, the 110th anniversary of the first Channel crossing by plane. Zapata reached speeds of 110mph and an altitude of 20 meters. The flight only took 22mins with a stop 10 mins in. He had to land on a large boat midway through for refueling. The Flyboard utilizes a backpack-sized Fuel cell. “I’m feeling happy. … It’s just an amazing moment in my life,” Zapata told reporters after landing, according to The Associated Press.
The winds over and around the Channel can be notoriously troublesome, requiring Zapata to adjust his position according to powerful wind gusts constantly.
“Your body resists the wind, and because the board is attached to my feet, all my body has to resist to the wind,” Zapata told reporters in England. “I tried to enjoy it and not think about the pain.”
His travel route isn’t the lofty part of his life. His ideas are described as such. According to a report by Digital Trends, Zapata is already at work on building a performance-focused flying car. Zapata’s flying car is being designed to have a top speed somewhere in the neighborhood of 250 mph and a range of around 70 miles.
Photo via Universal
