Is it a bird? A plane? No, it�s a French inventor flying over the English Channel on his hoverboard.

Looking like a superhero, Franky Zapata successfully completed the famed 35-kilometer (22-mile) journey in just 22 minutes Sunday morning, reaching speeds of up to 177 kilometers per hour (110 mph) on the flyboard that has made him a French household name.

Propelled by a power pack full of kerosene, Zapata set off from Sangatte in France�s Pas de Calais region and landed in St. Margaret�s Bay, beyond the white cliffs of Dover, in southeast England. He stopped only once, on the British side, to refuel his futuristic invention from a boat in the choppy waters.

�I�m feeling happy … It�s just an amazing moment in my life,� he said in English following his touchdown in Britain. �The last 10% (of the flight) was easier … because I had the time to look at the cliffs.�

It was, of course, the record for such a trip: No one else has tried to cross the channel in this way.

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It was also a personal record � the furthest distance that the 40-year-old, who drew nationwide attention after whizzing above European leaders in Paris at Bastille Day celebrations, had ever traveled atop his hoverboard.

The wind in the Channel, especially gusts, presented a major challenge, he said, adding that he bends into gusts but is destabilized if the wind quickly dies. It was, he acknowledged, no easy feat � especially given the physical endurance it requires. He said his leg muscles were �burning� during the flight.

�Your body resists the wind, and because the board is attached to my feet, all my body has to resist to the wind,� he told reporters. �I tried to enjoy it and not think about the pain.�

Witness Mark Kerr, a 60-year-old hospital librarian from Dover, said it was quite an unusual sight.

�Spectacular and amazing. Not everyday you see a man standing up, flying across the Channel, being chased by three helicopters,� he said.

Rosie Day, a 17-year-old at the British landing site, was impressed by Zapata�s flying skills.

�I was surprised by how quick he was. It was really impressive how fast he came in and the agility of his movements,� she said. �He was very smooth.�

Sunday was the inventor�s second attempt at crossing the Channel. His first � 10 days ago � ended when he collided with a refueling boat several minutes into his flight. That destroyed his transportation, a version of the flyboard that his company sells commercially.

Zapata told reporters this time he was �scared to touch down� at the refueling station on the sea but knew �whatever happened,� his team �wouldn�t let me fall into the water.�

He said he and his team worked around the clock to pull off the feat.

�All week, we worked 16 hours a day … we worked like crazy,� he said.

French maritime authorities said the refueling operation was dangerous, even though Zapata nixed his initial plan to refuel his power pack from a flying platform.

(AP)