Waiting For Calm Winds To Launch Helium-Filled Dirigible

Stephane Rousson, a 39-year-old French extreme sports enthusiast, awaits calm conditions to make his second attempt to cross the English Channel is his pedal-powered airship. Seeking to promote awareness of renewable energy and protection of the environment with his venture, Rousson hopes to depart from Hythe Beach in Kent, England for the coastal village of Wissant, France.

If successful, his flight will mark the first pedal-powered lighter-than-air crossing of the English Channel. BBC reports Rousson failed to make the historic journey last June, despite a two-week wait for ideal conditions. Determined to make a second attempt, Rousson has kept "Zeppy" hangared at nearby Lydd Airport in Kent.

Keeping a vigil on weather conditions over the channel, he hopes for westerly winds at no more than five mph. Planning to fly at a maximum of only 100 feet, Rousson has more than the weather to watch out for, as he crosses the busy shipping lanes between England and France.

The project to build the ideal airship for the feat began in 2003 with the assistance of designer Jean-Marc Geiser and engineer Didier Costes.

Measuring 52 feet long, the helium-filled craft is driven by two 10-foot diameter propellers, which can be tilted forward, upward or aft for directional control. Cruising speed is a leisurely 10 mph, with a top speed of about 13 mph, according to Rousson's website.

"Ever since I was a kid I have dreamed of flying," Rousson said. He said inspiration also came from watching the iconic scene in the Steven Spielberg movie ET, that showed a bicycle "flying over the moon."

FMI: www.zeppy.org