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Two other pilots in Bleriot XIs did make it across, Edmond Salis took 40 minutes in his restored single-seater and a modern two-seater replica also made the journey.

However, pilot Mikael Carlson's flight in an original Bleriot XI aircraft, flown in 1909 by the French aviation pioneer, which was due to take off from Calais later in the day was grounded because of high winds.

The plane finally took off this morning (26 July) when Swede Carlson took off from France and arrived at the Duke of York's Royal Military School in Dover just before 9.00 am, after a 33-minute flight.