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I know for a fact that we\\u2019ve all wondered whether someone could successfully fly across the English Channel on a homemade hoverboard. I mean\\u2026 right? We\\u2019ve thought about that?

Well, the short answer is no\\u2026 you cannot. Or, not yet anyway.

Yesterday, French inventor Franky Zapata took his \\u201cflyboard\\u201d to the French coastal town of Sangatte and hit the skies, attempting to be the first person to cross the Channel on a jet-powered hoverboard. The endeavor was scheduled on the 110th anniversary of the first airplane flight over the channel, and Zapata set out via the beach named after the pilot, Louis Bleriot.

Zapata and his device, dubbed the \\u201cFlyboard Air\\u201d might feel a little familiar, and that\\u2019s because he gained international attention a few weeks back when French President Emmanuel Macron Tweeted footage of the sky surfer flying over a parade in honor of Bastille Day. Oh, and he was carrying a rifle, which people had mixed feelings about, reportedly in order to emphasize the military potential of the board.

He must have been flying high on the exposure because he didn\\u2019t wait long to attempt to cross the channel on Flyboard Air, which can reportedly reach speeds of 60 miles per hour.

The section Zapata chose to traverse is 22.4 miles wide and though he carried a kerosene pack to help power the board, he was expecting to stop halfway through to refuel. Unfortunately, that\\u2019s when the problems occurred. In attempting to land on a boat to gas up, he missed the platform due to movement caused by choppy waves and, instead, fell into the sea.

He was rescued by divers and is reportedly fine. Zapata\\u2019s wife told the Associated Press that he would try again because \\u201che never sits back after a failure.\\u201d Or maybe somebody else will try? According to Zapata\\u2019s company \\u2013 Zapata Racing \\u2013 it only takes 20 hours of training to teach a pilot to be proficient at using the vehicle.

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