The World Record


My paper airplane story

 I have always liked airplanes - when my first grade teacher asked each student what they wanted to be when they grew up, I replied "aeronautical engineer". At about 10 years old at the Kernersville, NC public library I discovered some paper airplane books with good flying planes, they flew like the balsa planes but without the cost or construction time. I began trying to design my own paper airplanes based on the aerodynamic principles in books about real airplanes. At 13 I came up with a paper plane that flew great, I could launch it straight up outdoors, and it would level off and glide slowly. In good conditions the wind and air currents would result in really long flights (up to 1/4 mile, over 1 minute air time). I really liked that design, so I kept refining it. At 15 my parents bought me a Guinness book. The time aloft record was 15.0 seconds. My planes were close, so I had a goal. Eventually in collage, with the help of my friends, I set the record at 16.89 seconds. In 1987 Together Again Productions was filming segments of The Amazing World of Guinness Records, and asked if I would reset the record. Sure. This is my throw for the 1987 record of 17.20 seconds at the Mecca convention center in Milwakee, WI.


I again reset my record in 1994 for a Guinness show in New York City (JFK airport, American Airlines Hanger #10) at 18.80 seconds. Later that year I had a flight of 20.88 seconds in Raleigh,NC in Reynolds Coliseum,where I originally set the record. It was disallowed due to a rule requiring continuous video tape of the flight, I had a video, but the camera guy didn't follow the plane. In March 1996 I flew to London for a contest to defend my record. I got 17.3 seconds, not enough for a record, but at least I beat the competition.

 The paper airplane contest was to have consequences I had not considered. The British Aerospace team included some real talent with expertise in hand launched gliders at the international level, and in the practice before the contest had a flight or two of at least 19 seconds. That success encouraged then to continue working toward a record attempt, and later that same year they achieved a flight of 20.9 seconds. I did not learn that their time had become official until I picked up a 1998 Guinness book and saw the new record listed. For the first time in 15 years, it wasn't my record.

 I knew the road would be a difficult one, but I had to try once more to get the record. Preperations began in March of 1998, and would continue almost daily for the next 7 months. For this record attempt I needed to improve both my throw and my plane. On October 8th, 1998 in the Georgia Dome, on my 10th and final throw, I achieved a flight of 27.6 seconds! With hard work, and a little luck, almost anything is possible. I have a lot more material, with pictures, of this record HERE.

 I received a certificate from Guinness confirming my new Record in March, 1999.  I checked the 2000 Guinness book for my new record - and did not see any paper airplane records (Guinness does not list in the book all records, just selected ones).  This may be partially my fault, as I was delayed in returning the waiver required for Guinness to print the record.  Hopefully it will appear in the 2001 edition, but at least for a while, I have the satisfaction of owning the record.

******  THE GUINNESS RULES FOR THE TIME ALOFT RECORD ******
In September 1998 I received a revised set of rules for the time aloft record from Guinness. These rules are shown here as I received them.
RULES
1. The record is for the duration of a flight of a paper aircraft flown indoors, in a closed air environment, where the general public may view the event. Outdoor flights are not eligible for the record.
2. Two independent scrutineers must be appointed. The scrutineers must be persons of good character who shall be responsible for the proper application of these guidelines within the spirit of fairplay and shall take and authenticate the time measurements. Each scrutineer shall use a digital stopwatch. The scrutineers shall have the power to call a foul where the guidelines have been breached or the duration cannot be reasonably or feasibly measured.
3. Ten attempts at the record are allowed. A foul shall be recorded as an attempt but shall not be valid for setting the record. Attempts declared or rendered void under guideline 7 below shall not be recorded as an attempt.
4. The aircraft must be constructed from one sheet of paper only (using either a sheet of A4 or 81/2 inch x 11 inch quarto sized paper). The weight of paper must be no more than 100 gsm. The paper can be cut, but any piece of paper cut off cannot be rejoined. The use of standard light-duty clear cellulose adhesive tape of width 25 mm and total length 30 mm is permitted on any one aircraft. The tape may be cut up into smaller pieces but shall be used to hold down folds only and shall not be layered, joined together, used as a weight, used for laminating a surface nor used as a control device such as a trim-tab or flap. Glue, paperclips or staples are not permitted.
5. The aircraft must be launched by one person (the thrower) throwing the aircraft unaided from a reasonably static position. A run-up or fast walk as part of the launch is not permitted, nor the use of ramps or like devices. The thrower must endeavour to keep both feet on the ground during the launch. The aircraft must not be launched from a balcony or any other area that is higher than the main floor level.
6. The launch height is dependent upon the height of the thrower. Reasonably flat footwear must be used. The floor on which the thrower stands during the launch must be level with or lower than the point where it first lands. The aircraft must not go below the main floor level and then rise again, for example by flying down into a pit or basement area and up again to the main floor level.
7. The duration shall be measured by the scrutineers from the point in time when the aircraft leaves the thrower's hand to the point in time when the aircraft first touches the floor or is subject to guideline 8. The duration record shall be measured to a tenth of a second but scrutineers stopwatches shall measure to a hundredth of a second and times shall be rounded up or down in accordance with the following example: times from 20.91 to 20.95 seconds round down to 20.9 seconds; 20.96 to 20.99 round up to 21.0 seconds. The scrutineers each shall compare their times measured to determine jointly a fair or average time. Where the average of two time measurements generates a time to two decimal places, the time shall be rounded up or down in accordance with the above example. If the two scrutineers cannot agree on a fair or average time, then the time shall be disallowed and the throw shall be void as an attempt.
8. If the aircraft hits any object such as a wire, lighting etc. during the flight, the duration should only be recorded until the point of contact. Additionally, should any object, flying or fixed, benefit the aircraft in flight, or is deemed so to do by a scrutineer, that scrutineer shall call a foul. It only requires one scrutineer to call a foul; with the attempt being counted and time stopped or lost.

 So specifically, to paper size, 8.5 x11inches is acceptable. Ten attempts are allowed in any one day. As to venue, given that for authentication purposes the media is required ie press and TV, their attendance is likely. The venue needs to be accessible in this way. It also needs to be accessible to the independent witnesses.

 For you information, our new address is as follows:

 Guinness Publishing
8th Floor
338 Euston Road
London NW1 3BD

******  My Publishing History  ******

The World Record Paper Airplane Book:
In 1992 on a ski trip with my friend Jeff Lammers, we were discussing possible projects. I had started research on writing a book (thanks to my sister, Jackie Tyson). We decided to give it a go. I did most of the writing and plane designs, Jeff organized it, created illistrations and art work, and found a publisher. In 1993 Workman Publishing signed us to a contract and more work started to polish the book. The book came out in June 1994, and has sold over 750,000 by the summer of 1998. Its available at most book stores, and at many national store chains,like May stores. I understand it has a display at the gift store at the Smithsonian(I always wanted to have a plane of my own design there - but thought it might be a little larger).

 The Kids' Paper Airplane Book was introduced the fall of '96, with sales to date (10/98) of 230,000. This draws on experience from the first book, and has planes, games, and educational activities specificly for kids 6-12. A teachers guide is available online and in print from the publisher to help schools and youth groups prepare educational and fun activities.

Pocket Flyers is a book of miniature paper airplanes introduced in the fall of 1998.  To date (12/99) over 400,000 copies have been sold.  The original concept for the book was Jeff's, and he created the book while I prepared for the 1998 world record attempt.

The World Record Paper Airplane Calendar began with the 1997 calendar, and continues into 2001.  A calendar begins almost two years prior to the year it is prepared for.  Each year it is a challange to create a new batch of unique planes.  Jeff and I each create six new planes for the calendar.

Workman has license agreements overseas, and now has the original World Record Paper Airplane Book in six languages (in addition to English), and the Kids' Paper Airplane Book has been printed in Korean.  I do not know how many books in foreign languages have been sold - I will update this when I know.

 New paper airplane stuff

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