FIRST CHANNEL CROSSING with a muscular powered airship

 

 

© dppi/julien girardot

For five years Stephane has devoted his life to achieving his dream: crossing the English Channel with a muscular powered airship.

To cross the English Channel between Hythe and Wissant (45km) Stéphane had to look for the rare weather slot (wind-speed: maximum 8 km/h, direction: sector 280 West) and take a lot of parameters into account: the atmospheric pressure, the tide, the air temperature and the solar radiation. He also had to handle the sea traffic. To avoid being swept away by ascending currents Stéphane had to fly at a height of 30 meters, which is precisely the same as the 250 cargo boats which cross in the English Channel each day.

For all these reasons, Stephane had to wait for the perfect weather conditions to take off. It was a real organisational, technological and physical challenge since Stephane attempted to cross with his sole muscular force.

 

SEE THE REPORT OF FR3