Exclusive: I followed behind jetman in a plane

The moth-like silhouette of Swiss daredevil Yves Rossy appeared over Dover at 1.15 yesterday less than ten minutes after jumping out of a light aeroplane over Calais, making history as the first jet-propelled human crossing of the Channel.

Any scepticism about Rossy's journey was dispelled as he soared over the white cliffs at more than 100mph powered by four jets on his homemade wing.

At first he was little more than a speck against a cloudless sky, surrounded by a pair of yellow helicopters and the Pilatus Porter plane from which he began his record-setting attempt.

The shape of his wings soon became visible and he soared upwards in a final manoeuvre as he prepared to cut his engines.

The Swiss pilot seemed to disappear for a moment before the blue and white parachute deployed, delivering him gently to earth.

The tail wind meant that he landed hundreds of metres away from the intended drop zone in a ploughed field, but within seconds he was visible, standing and unharmed, prompting cheers from onlookers.

Ecstatic colleagues raced across the field to hear him shout: "Thank you."

He raised his arms triumphantly as the smell of hot metal and fumes from the remains of his kerosene fuel filled the air.

"It's like I am in a second world," he said. "It is a mix of reality and dreams. I am flying with a wing and just a turn of my head."

Mr Rossy's only instruments on his wing were a throttle and a rip cord to abandon the wing should anything go wrong.

"It was the perfect flight, as planned. It was a mixture of being euphoric and concentrated,” he added.

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