Uploaded October 2013 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
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For 18 years, the Kremer prize, which was intended to reward pioneers of human-powered flight, had never been won. That all changed in 1977, when a team of aeronautical engineers flew the Gossamer Condor on a Figure 8 course over the desert sands of California. NBC caught the prize-winning run of this extraordinary machine, an enormous yet lightweight contraption that is operated much like a bicycle. While its designer, Paul MacCready, would go on to innovate human flight in many more ways, it was this historic run that cemented his legacy and won him that elusive Kremer prize.
Contact our staff or browse our website to catch more stunning footage of the great technological advancements of the past half-century.
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Go to NBCUniversalArchives.com to license any portion of this video.
For 18 years, the Kremer prize, which was intended to reward pioneers of human-powered flight, had never been won. That all changed in 1977, when a team of aeronautical engineers flew the Gossamer Condor on a Figure 8 course over the desert sands of California. NBC caught the prize-winning run of this extraordinary machine, an enormous yet lightweight contraption that is operated much like a bicycle. While its designer, Paul MacCready, would go on to innovate human flight in many more ways, it was this historic run that cemented his legacy and won him that elusive Kremer prize.
Contact our staff or browse our website to catch more stunning footage of the great technological advancements of the past half-century.
Like Us on Facebook.com/NBCUArchives
Follow us on Twitter.com/NBCUArchives
