PROFILE AMERICA

June 12, 2008

First Man-Powered Flight

Thursday, June 12th. Something was accomplished on this date in 1979 that many said could never be done. A young California cyclist named Bryan Allen flew a special aircraft across the English Channel to France in a little less than three hours — under his own power. Looking much like a fanciful drawing from the past, the craft was the Gossamer Albatross, now on display at the National Air and Space Museum. Made out of plastic sheeting and pipes, its propellor was turned by bicycle pedals. The Gossamer Albatross gave new meaning to the term “ultralight,” since it weighed only 70 pounds. That’s far less than each of the nation’s nearly 6,500 gliders, blimps and hot-air balloons. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at www.census.gov.