Swiss adventurer flies 'like a bird' across English Channel

A Swiss adventurer flew into the history books Friday by crossing from France to Britain on only a jet-powered wing, describing afterwards how he felt "like a bird" over the English Channel.

Yves Rossy, 49, touched down in a field on top of the white cliffs of Dover after completing the 35-kilometre (22-mile) journey over one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.

"I have proved it is possible to fly like a bird," he said with a big grin, adding: "My aim (was) to realize the dream. You have an idea in your head, and to actually achieve it is the most gratifying thing you can do."

Asked how he felt, he joked: "It's a mixture of ecstasy and trying to stay concentrated -- because I was thinking, the water is pretty cold down there."

With the carbon wing strapped to his back, Rossy had leapt out of a small plane at an altitude of 2,500 metres over the French coast before jetting off at speeds of more than 200 kilometres per hour.

Against a backdrop of picture-perfect blue skies, he ended his adventure around ten minutes later by cutting his engines and deploying a green and blue parachute at an altitude of some 1,500 metres over the English coast.

After landing in a ploughed field, the daredevil was visibly thrilled as he was helped out of the wing structure into which he had been strapped for the flight.

"It was great. I feel a lot more calm now than before the flight. It was perfect conditions," he said, after being mobbed by journalists who peppered him with questions.

Rossy had never flown for longer than ten minutes and had to calibrate his equipment and weight to perfection since even the addition of a few hundred grammes would have affected his flying ability.

His trip was broadcast live by two light aircraft and two helicopters which flew alongside him across the channel.

Although it appeared perfect, in fact Rossy did not arrive at the intended landing site -- apparently after he tricked his support staff.

"He didn't land where he was supposed to because at the last minute he played a trick on me," said Jean-Marc Colomb, pilot of the plane which dropped Rossy over the French coast and then tailed him across the Channel.

本周五，瑞士一名冒险家仅靠一副喷气式飞行翼成功飞越了英吉利海峡，成为史上完成这一壮举的第一人。之后他在描述飞行感受时说，他觉得自己“像只飞鸟”。

当天，49岁的“飞人”伊夫斯•罗西从法国起飞，穿越了世界最繁忙的海路之一英吉利海峡，最后在英国多佛白色峭壁的一块空地上安全着陆，顺利完成了长达35公里（22英里）的飞行。

罗西笑着说：“我已经证明人可以像鸟一样飞翔，我就是为了实现这个梦想。当你心中有了一个理想，脚踏实地地去实现它才是最切实的事情。”

在被问及飞的感觉如何时，他开玩笑说：“那种感觉是，你会沉醉其中，又要保持注意力集中——我那时在想，下面的水可是很凉的。”

当天罗西乘一架小飞机从法国出发，当飞机飞至距海面2500米的高空时，罗西背着碳制动力机翼一跃而下，并以每小时200多公里的速度飞行。

在降落过程中，罗西先关闭翅膀的引擎，然后在距海面约1500米的蓝天中打开了黄绿相间的降落伞，不久便顺利着落。整个飞行用时约十几分钟。

成功着陆后，这位冒险家显得十分激动，他在工作人员的协助下卸下了帮助他飞行的“翅膀”。

罗西一着陆，便被记者们团团围住，他在接受采访时说：“飞行的感觉很美妙。现在我的心情比飞行前平静多了。今天的飞行条件也十分完美。”

此前罗西试飞时的时间从未超过十分钟，所以在这次飞行前他必须将机翼和体重都调整到最佳状态，因为即便增加几百克的重量都会影响他的飞行。

当天，共有两架轻型飞机和两架直升机对罗西进行全程跟踪拍摄。

虽然整个飞行过程看上去很完美，但其实罗西并没有降落在指定地点，他跟工作人员开了个玩笑。

驾驶那架小飞机将罗西送到空中的飞行员西恩-马克•科洛姆说：“他没有降落在指定的地点，末了还跟我开了个玩笑。”这架小飞机将罗西在高空中放下后，一直尾随他飞越了英吉利海峡。

Vocabulary:

daredevil:冒险的人