Longest human-powered helicopter flight (Sikorsky Prize)

What to remember

On 13 June 2013, the AeroVelo Atlas stayed aloft for 64 seconds, or 1 min 04 s, climbing to 3.3 meters above the ground. It was the first human-powered helicopter to complete such a flight, which won it the Sikorsky Prize.

Human-powered transport, which ranges from walking and swimming to rickshaws and wheelchairs, has gained, through modern technology, machines that multiply human effort.

The Atlas takes that idea to the helicopter. Its mark is counted in seconds rather than kilometres: 64 seconds in the air and 3.3 meters of height, the two figures given for this prize-winning flight.