A series of prizes funded by industrialist Henry Kremer have been the main driving force for human-powered flight in recent years. The first of these prizes was announced in 1959 but was not won until 1977. This prize was awarded for the demonstration of controlled flight by flying around a figure-8 course. The second prize was won in 1979 for a successful flight across the English Channel. Next, there were a series of speed prizes that gradually increased the speed record. The last of the speed prizes was won with an air speed of 30 mph (48 kph) in 1985. The next two prizes, the Kremer Sporting Aircraft Prize and the Kremer Marathon Prize have still not been won.
The goal of the Kremer Sport Prize is to create an aircraft that is durable enough to be flown in less than ideal weather conditions and is also easily transported. There is a £100,000 (~$155,000) award for the first aircraft that achieves all of the competition criteria.
The aircraft must…
- be powered solely by the pilot.
- make two flights around a triangular course of 500 meters (~0.31 miles) per side.
- make both flights in a combined time of less than 7 minutes.
- fly in winds that are stronger than 5 m/s (11 mph) for the entire flight.
- be at least 5 m (17 ft) above the ground when crossing the start and finish lines.
- make both flights with no more than 1 hour of rest in between.
- be transported in an 8-meter (26 ft) long trailer.
- be unpacked and packed in less than 30 minutes (each).
Download the official Kremer Sport Rules (PDF).
There is also another Kremer Prize offered concurrently with the sport prize. The Kremer Marathon Prize (PDF) will be awarded to the first aircraft to fly a marathon (26 miles or 41 km) in one hour.
