Pedaling in the air—across the English Channel. On this week in 1979, the Gossamer Albatross became the first human-powered aircraft to fly across the English Channel. Pilot Bryan Allen's 22.5 mile flight took 2 hours and 49 minutes. In addition to being a pilot, Allen was an amateur cyclist—ideal because he powered the craft by pedaling at 75 revolutions per minute. Designed by Dr. Paul MacCready and his team of engineers from AeroVironment, the Albatross was similar to the Gossamer Condor, which was the first successful human-powered aircraft. The Albatross was built mostly of carbon fiber tubing and covered with clear Mylar. Unlike the Condor, it was designed to be easily disassembled for shipping. #AirSpacePhoto