Franky Zapata tries the crossing of the English Channel aboard its scooter air

A tribute to Louis Blériot, the first man to have crossed the Channel by plane on July 25, 1909. Nevertheless, And a life -size technological demonstration flight. Nevertheless, Franky Zapata did not choose the date of July 25, 2025 by chance. Furthermore, The former world jet ski champion. Furthermore, who has become an entrepreneur with his eponymous start-up, has to take off from Sangatte (Pas-de-Calais), this Friday morning around 10 a.m.. Meanwhile, to rally Dover, on the British coast aboard his new invention: scooter air, a flying scooter intended to serve the leisure and tourism market, franky zapata tries crossing english which he had presented two years ago.

The machine. Moreover, which is distinguished with its transparent interior of ovoid shape, is an VTOL, an aircraft with takeoff and vertical landing with hybrid propulsion (8 electric and 4 thermal engines). For example, Ultra-light (115 kilos on the scale) thanks to its carbon fiber structure, the scooter air is piloted with a joystick. Consequently, It can fly at 3. Consequently, 000 meters above sea level at a top speed of 100 km/hour and has a radius of action of 100 km and a range oscillating depending on the speed, from 1:30 to 75 km/h to almost 2 hours at 45 km/h. However, “” I plan to cross the round in 25 minutes, stealing at 75 km/hour on average at 2,800 meters above sea level. Therefore, This flight. by demonstrating that our machine works, marks a moment of sharing with my teams franky zapata tries crossing english that have been working there for years “Confides Franky Zapata.

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First “Fly Center” in Las Vegas in the United States

It will be the first long distance flight for the scooter air. after an overview of 15 minutes, on June 21, from the Berre pond, not far from the machine design and manufacturing plant in Châteauneuf-les-Martigues (Bouches-du-Rhône). But this is not the first time that Franky Zapata has crossed the Channel. striking the spirits with one of his inventions. In August 2019. he literally stolen above the sea, shot down from the Fly Board Air, the aerial version of the Flyboard (propelled turbo board) used in many nautical bases. This, after having demonstrated it, at the end of the military parade of July 14, 2019, in Paris. Then the young company worked on a flying car prototype. the Jet Racer, and embarked on the new franky zapata tries crossing english air mobility market with the scooter air.

The latter benefited from the technological achievements of the Jet Racer and the Fly Board Air. The machine is now ready to embark its first customers who can pilot it with a short ten -minute. training via a simulation program downloaded on tablet. The tourist route will be scheduled on the on -board computer, automatically generating the trip and the flight sequence. “The flight is geo-more,” sums up Franky Zapata. To afford a flight. however, it will be necessary to go to the United States, precisely in Las Vegas where the company Zapata opens its first “fly center”, a clean site, this fall.

The Air Scooter begins his career there by benefiting from the regulations on ultra-light aircraft (from 115 kilos maximum) which can be operated without piloting license. certification. This is not the case in Europe where ultra-light regulations apply franky zapata tries crossing english only to ULM and requires holding a license. Franky Zapata also obtained a derogation to fly the scooter between France. the United Kingdom with the DGAC and its British counterpart, the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority).

Franky zapata tries crossing english

First flight of the two -seater model at the end of 2026

In order to seduce the first Zapata customers is launching. as of this Friday, a limited promotional operation in time (until August 31 on the AirsCooter.shop site). with the presale of the first 400 dollars on the hour, $ 100 less than expected, in order to offer an unforgettable flight above the Grand Canyon and its surroundings. A price that should drop as the activity development because the long -term objective of Franky Zapata is “. to democratize access to air mobility ». The company which has already sold 5 copies of the machine to private franky zapata tries crossing english customers in the United States. organizes, this fall, an American tour, with several flights made along the legendary Route 66, from Chicago to Los Angeles.

Funded 100% by private capital. including Team Global, a German “Family Office” who entered the capital in 2020 (up to some 5%), and the Indian motorcycle and scooter manufacturer TVS (5% recently taken) based in Chennai, Air Scooter mobilized a budget of some 10 million euros. After launching the manufacture of premises. industrial production has been initiated and had to reach a hundred aircraft in 2026 and ultimately one thousand per year. “”We discuss an industrial partnership with TVS which relates to the supply of engine parts“, Specifies the boss of Zapata.

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« The air scooter air represents the first step in a larger project. with the development of a derived aircraft with hybrid propulsion with more powerful engines. It will franky zapata tries crossing english be a two -seater flying taxi that we will have to certify “Explains Franky Zapatta. This second VTOL must. according to the provisional calendar, carry out its first test flight at the end of 2026 and then engage in the certification process by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and by the FAA, its American counterpart. “” We first proceed with the leisure and tourism market then the professional market. The two-seater scooter air can be purchased. rented by airports, airlines to transport their customers but also operated by ourselves “Develops the boss of Zapata, who aims to succeed in the flying taxis market, where several start-ups such as Volocopter (she had to fly the voloc during the Paris Olympics last summer) failed.