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First there was Jetman and then came Airshipman.

Hythe beach was buzzing with photographers and a film crew on Sunday morning to see Frenchman Stephane Rousson attempt to pedal an airship across the Channel.

M Rousson, who had made one failed attempt from Dungeness in June, set out for his dare-devil journey just two days after Swiss pilot Yves Rossy landed at Dover becoming the first person ever to cross the Channel with only a single jet-propelled wing strapped to his back.

Airship man M Rousson claimed he was inspired by the film ET, which includes the iconic scene of a flying bicycle.

Preparations started at 6am at the Imperial Hotel as the support crew and M Rousson assessed the weather while it was still dark.

At 7am it looked like the attempt would be aborted when 39-year-old M Rousson announced he was going inside the hotel for a rest. But encouraged by his two-boat support crew, he was persuaded it would probably be his last chance to attempt the madcap crossing.

As the sun rose, the wind dropped and M Rousson guided the tethered airship to the beach where people had started to gather to watch the strange spectacle.

The organisation and support was a sharp contrast to Jetman’s cross channel stunt. Airshipman asked members of the public to help out by holding the ropes which tethered the airship whereas Jetman had huge support and PR teams.

At 8am M Rousson, who was wearing shorts, applied sun tan cream, ate a banana, put on his shades and started to pedal. He was just a few feet above the water and came down twice before getting more height and heading off in a south easterly direction.

Sadly, M Rousson had to abort the bid less than 11 miles from France, after being hampered by a change in wind direction.

When we spoke to him just before the departure and we asked what would happen if the bid was not successful.

M Rousson said: “Next time I will need a lot of money to have a hangar on the beach and be ready at a moment’s notice as the weather has to be perfectly still.”