John Wimpenny (3 December 1922 – 27 April 2015) was an English aeronautical engineer who held the record for the longest human powered flight.
He attended Minchenden Grammar School in Southgate and in 1958 he moved to St Albans, Hertfordshire, where he lived for the rest of his life.
He worked on the development of the Hawker Siddeley HS 125 executive jet and on civil STOL and V/STOL design in co-operation with the Dornier Aircraft Company in Germany.
On 2 May 1962, Wimpenny, aged 39, piloted the Puffin, pedalling like a cyclist to make the propeller drive the aircraft, and he achieved a flight distance of 993 yards, then a world record which was to stand for ten years.
[2][3][4][5] John Wimpenny was visiting professor for undergraduate research projects at City University London from 1990 to 1999 and he was Vice-Chairman of the Royal Aeronautical Society's Human Powered Aircraft Group from 1995 until his death.