"If you want to move mountains, you just go move mountains."

This is not an unreasonable point of view for someone who has made a habit of defeating the impossible. Whether it is the Gossamer Condor, the first human-powered plane, or the Solar Challenger, the world's first piloted plane powered by the sun, or the Sunraycer, an electric car that won a 1,867-mile Australian road race, Dr. Paul MacCready's inventions have pushed mankind faster and further in ways it could never have imagined.

An aeronautical engineer with a love of sailplaning, MacCready was inventing from the start-with his early development of a device that allowed glider pilots to choose their optimum speed. In 1971 MacCready founded AeroVironment which, in addition to developing energy-efficient vehicles, began exploring new technologies leading to long-duration, unmanned flight vehicles. In 1984 MacCready's team created a radio-controlled flying replica of a pterodactyl, featured in an IMAX film that can still be seen today.

AeroVironment also developed the Pathfinder, a solar-powered 100-foot aircraft that maintained an altitude of 71,500 feet. The plane was an initial step toward NASA's goal of achieving six-month, unmanned, non-polluting flights for environmental studies and communication relay. On the other end of the spectrum, AeroVironment has developed six-foot surveillance drones that weigh less than two ounces.

MacCready, known as the "father of human-powered flight," continues to push the boundaries of the possible. Other projects include a device that would "make exercise as addicting as nicotine."

Enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame, MacCready has received numerous awards, including the Lindberg Award, NASA's Public Service Grand Achievement Award, and the FAA's Distinguished Service Award.