U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for June 13 |
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By: U.S. Census Bureau Posted: 2010-06-13 05:08:47 |
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Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:
SUNDAY, JUNE 13: FIRST HUMAN-POWERED FLIGHT Profile America - Sunday, June 13th. On this date in 1979, media reports highlighted the unlikely accomplishment of a young bicyclist from California. Bryan Allen flew a special aircraft across the English Channel to France - special because it had no engine. Allen supplied the power by pedaling, which turned the airplane's propeller. His crossing took a little less than three hours. Looking 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, the Gossamer Albatross gave new meaning to the term "ultralight," since it weighed only 70 pounds. That's far less than each of the nearly 232,000 aircraft in the nation's general aviation fleet. Profile America is in its 14th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau. Sources: National Air and Space Museum Statistical Abstract of the United States 2010, t. 1047 Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button). |
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