In 1979, his "Gossamer Albatross" made the first human-powered flight across the English Channel. It weighed 70 pounds and had a 96-foot wingspan. Bryan Allen was the pilot for the flight which took nearly three hours.
In 1977, the Condor made the first sustained, controlled flight powered solely by a human. Pilot Bryan Allen steered and provided the pedal-power for the seven-and-a-half-minute flight, which covered a figure-eight course a half-mile long in Shafter, California.
He designed the "Gossamer Condor", the first fully capable human-powered flying machine. It was constructed from aluminum, Mylar, foam, and piano wire, and weighed just 70 pounds.