The Flight of the Gossamer Condor tells the inspiring true story of history's first successful human-powered flight. Renowned inventor Dr. Paul MacCready and his team were filmed creating ...
See full summary »
Find out what movies Jim Gaffigan, Linda Hamilton, and more are watching during the holidays. For more gift ideas, check out IMDb's Holiday Gift Guide, curated with the entertainment lover in mind!
Related News
-
The Academy and MoMA Celebrate Documentaries & “Behind The Ballot” Series Now Live On Oscar.com
29 January 2013 | WeAreMovieGeeks.com
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Share this Rating
Title: The Flight of the Gossamer Condor (1978)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
Won
1
Oscar.
See more awards »
Edit
Cast
| Credited cast: | |||
 |
Bryan Allen | ... | Himself - Final Pilot |
|
|
Paul B. MacCready | ... | Himself (as Paul MacCready) |
|
|
Tyler MacCready | ... | Himself |
|
|
Greg Miller | ... | Himself |
| Roger Steffens | ... | Narrator (voice) | |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
Storyline
The Flight of the Gossamer Condor tells the inspiring true story of history's first successful human-powered flight. Renowned inventor Dr. Paul MacCready and his team were filmed creating the world-famous pedal-powered airplane as it happened. Producing this film which documents the development of a man's dream into a scientific and historic achievement was, in itself, an extraordinary effort. There was an immense risk involved in making a commitment to film a scientist's effort at achieving something which had never done before successfully. Written by Ben Shedd <sheddprods@aol.com>
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
Edit
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
October 1978 (USA) See more »Filming Locations:
Civilian Flight Test Center, Mojave Airport - 1434 Flightline Street, Mojave, California, USA See more »Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
Color
Edit
Did You Know?
Trivia
The Gossamer Condor airplane is now displayed in the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum between the Wright Brothers' first plane and the Apollo 11 moon capsule. See more »Contribute to This Page
On IMDb TV, you can catch Hollywood hits and popular TV series at no cost. Select any poster below to play the movie, totally free!
Explore popular action and adventure titles available to stream with Prime Video.
Since the beginning of time, humans have attempted to fly. Wilbur and Orville Wright achieved this with a motor-powered airplane in 1903, but a human-powered flying machine remained elusive. So, in 1959, British industrialist Henry Kremer offered £50,000 to anyone who could develop a human-powered aircraft. Many tried to no avail. So, in the 1970s, AeroVironment employee Paul MacCready decided to tackle the challenge. The result was the Gossamer Condor, with increased wing area to reduce drag.
Ben Shedd's Academy Award-winning documentary "The Flight of the Gossamer Condor" looks at the development and launch of MacCready's brainchild. Naturally it took a few tries, but they eventually succeeded and went on to win the Kremer Prize (I doubt that I have to warn about spoilers; the documentary's title IS the spoiler). It looks like an impressive and fun process. This is one documentary that should dispel the notion that science is boring, or that people shouldn't try to innovate. Good times.