Les Ailes de la Liberté

On Monday 20th of July 2009 at 1.00pm, Jacques Olivier, and his eagle Sherkan took off by helicopter from Coquelles with Denis Verchère and Bertrand Roche, two paragliding pilots in order ti try and cross the Channel. This unique experience was aimed at raising the awareness of the audience to the disappearance of the bold eagle. The bet was risky since no less than four world premieres were tried on this occasion: dropping from an helicopter with a tandem paraglider, cross the Channel paragliding, get the eagle out of the helicopter and make it cross the sea. The two first parts was a complete success since the three men add their names to the list of records of the Channel crossing with this 40-minute flight above the sea with a paraglider landing at Coquelles. For the eagle, the success is contrasted since it git off the helicopter well but did not stay long in the air with the team and quickly reached the French Coast landing on the each of Wissant where it was recovered by the facolner's assistant one hour later. In order for the eagle not to stay on this wrong impression, the team then flew forty minutes on the cliffs of Cap Gris Nez to share a moment of pleasure all together after this incredible experience.

Jacques Olivier TRAVERS' reaction: “ We share mixed feelings. On the one hand, everyone is safe even though the flight was really risky, it is a great pleasure to have our names associated to the list of the records for crossing the Channel, but on the other hand, we are frustrated not having been able to share this moment with Sherkan since it reached the coast quickly wich felt safer for him. We knew that for the eagle, staying at sea for so long was the real challenge, which was confirmed by yesterday’s attempt but this is the aim of our work and trials: go beyond our limits to see exactly where they stop.

Crossing the Channel : the movies