First crossing of the English Channel by paramotor/powered paraglider

On 13 October 1984, airline pilot and extreme light aircraft pioneer Gérard Feldzer (France) successfully crossed the English Channel from England to France flying a “ParaPlane” – a wheel-launched powered parachute fitted with twin Solo engines and contra-rotating propellers.

In modern parlance, the US-made “ParaPlane” – designed by the late American aeronautical engineer Steve Snyder – would now be classed as a “paratrike”. Its first incarnation – the “P-3” – made its public debut in April 1983 at the Sun & Fun Airshow in Florida, USA.

This followed another Channel-crossing aviation feat that he set on 30 April 1984, along with French singer/actor Alain Souchon. The pair flew a sub-500-kg plane – called Rutan VariEze – designed by American aerospace engineer Burt Rutan from London, UK, to Paris, France, in a then record time of 1 hour 24 minutes. The record was ratified at the time by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.

On 4 September 2013, Feldzer achieved another milestone, when he and aeronautics expert Pierre Chabert (France) became the first people to cross the English Channel in an electric-powered airship/dirigible dubbed the "Flying Fish".

Feldzer went on to become president of Aéro-Club de France between 1995 and 2005.