Latham (right) and Faure, prepare to fly by Balloon across the English Channel. 1905. Arthur Charles Hubert Latham, (1883 - 1912), English aviation pioneer. He was the first person to attempt to cross the English Channel in an aeroplane. accompanied by the French balloonist, Jacques Faure, on a night crossing of the English Channel (from London to Paris) in a gas balloon on 11-12 February 1905.