Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s Jetman, aka Yves Rossy.

The former military pilot from Switzerland aims to be the first person to carry out a solo, jet-propelled flight across the English Channel.

His daredevil crossing from Lydd to France is scheduled for Wednesday, September 24 - weather permitting.

Mr Rossy will jump from a plane more than 3,000m above ground, fire up the jets on his wing and attempt to soar across the Channel at speeds approaching 190kph.

His wing weighs approximately 55 kilograms and includes four simple, kerosene-burning jet turbines to keep him airborne, just a few centimetres away from his body.

The real-life Buzz Lightyear has successfully completed a test flight, bringing him one step closer to the ultimate challenge.

Using his new single jet-powered wing, Yves eventually flew for 10 minutes over a distance of more than 35 kilometres - equivalent to between Calais and Dover.

For his test flight, Yves jumped out of a plane above the town of Bex, Switzerland, and flew in a straight line to Villeneuve, before turning back to Bex airfield and landing using a parachute.

Mr Rossy said: “Everything went well, it was awesome. It’s my longest flight with this wing.”

His Channel challenge will be broadcast live by National Geographic Channel in 165 countries, on Jetman Live and will also be streamed live online at www.natgeotv.com. TSR in Switzerland and France3 will also show his attempt.

A book charting his possible achievement is already in production, scheduled for release at the end of the year.