English Channel Dover and Boulogne but later also Ramsgate (Pegwell Bay) to Calais. The journey time Dover to Boulogne was roughly 35 minutes, with six trips per day at peak times. The fastest crossing of the English Channel by a commercial car-carrying hovercraft was 22 minutes, recorded by the "Princess Anne" MCH SR-N4 Mk3 on 14 September 1995, The first aircraft to cross the Channel was a balloon in 1785, piloted by Jean Pierre François Blanchard (France) and John Jeffries (US). Louis Blériot (France) piloted the first airplane to cross in 1909. The sport of Channel swimming traces its origins to the
London International Hot Air Balloon Festival Maple Leaf, and Tyrone the T-Rex. In addition to the balloon launches and rides, the festival featured an amusement park, concerts, and a night glow. Musical acts featured at the 2006 festival included Canadian artists Sloan and Mobile, as well as London band Bobnoxious. In March 2008, Sundance Balloons announced that the 2008 edition of the event would not be held following several consecutive years of financial losses associated with the festival. London International Hot Air Balloon Festival The London Hot-Air Balloon Festival (London Balloon Festival) was an annual hot-air balloon festival held in London, Ontario, Canada. The festival, which