He also has a PhD, and was part of the team that designed and built it. From the wikipedia page about the helicopter: "The peak power of 1.1 kW (1.5 hp) was on

He also has a PhD, and was part of the team that designed and built it. From the wikipedia page about the helicopter: "The peak power of 1.1 kW (1.5 hp) was only generated during the first few seconds to climb to the required 3-metre (9.8 ft) altitude. By the end of the flight, power had reduced to 600 W (0.80 hp). Todd Reichert, the pilot and a racing cyclist, had specifically trained for such a power profile."