Paper Planes
Here's what it's like when the world's best paper plane pilots take off
There weren't engines roaring or propellers spinning, but when pre-elimination started in the Red Bull Paper Wings World Final, the planes soared and the cheers raised the roof.
Under the swooping, curved glass of Salzburg's Hangar-7, a total of 116 pilots from 60 countries took off in pre-elimination rounds for the Distance and Airtime categories of the official paper plane world championship. And 30 of them landed with a spot in the Super Finals.
Pre-elimination day started in high spirits, as the students from around the world poured into the venue, fired up from opening ceremony celebrations the night before. The Flying Bulls collection of historic aircraft that make their home in Hangar-7 had been carefully moved to the side to make way for their paper cousins and the pilots quickly got to work, grabbing bright red sheets of A4 paper that they would fold into the most aerodynamic shapes possible – no cutting, tearing, gluing or stapling allowed.
Matus Klein of Slovakia prepares to launch in the Airtime category
© Philipp Carl Riedl / Red Bull Content Pool
With the doors shut and fans turned off to prevent the slightest bit of breeze from affecting the trajectories, the action got underway. Participants wearing an array of colorful team jerseys lined the stage and rain rolling through the Alps didn't stop local spectators from coming out to catch the flights as well.
The afternoon kicked-off with the pre-elimination for Airtime, with pilots bending backward to launch their aircraft as high as possible into the 14.5m-high glass shell of Hangar-7. Because maximum time between takeoff and touchdown was the goal, most competitors in this category folded their planes with broad wings for optimal glide and the best designs seemed to hang in the air, suspense building as they gradually drifted down.
Steve Otieno Mboya of Kenya competes in the Airtime category
© Joerg Mitter / Red Bull Content Pool
Cheers broke out with the introduction of each new pilot and the clapping, chants and spontaneous singing of the crowd gave the proceedings the feel of a top-league football match. While only 15 Airtime pilots advanced to the Super Finals, every participant felt the love.
The day was far from over. Next up was Distance, which saw the pilots warming up their throwing arms ahead of approaching the 70m-long apron with their paper planes folded for sleek, streamlined efficiency. The milestone of 60m was broken early, indicating some of the 15 Distance pilots who advanced could be targeting the world record of 69.14m in the Super Finals.
Darina Boncheva of Bulgaria throws her paper plane in the Distance category
© Philipp Carl Riedl / Red Bull Content Pool
Throughout the day, all the pilots could also take advantage of workshops on aerobatic flight, or simply hang out, trade tips and make new friends from all over the world. Even those who didn't advance could take pride in the fact that they were among the elite, having earned the right to represent their country out of a record 61,210 hopefuls worldwide.
Day 2 is jam-packed, with pre-elimination and Super Finals for Aerobatics – where pilots turn on the creativity to impress a panel of judges – as well as Super Finals for Airtime and Distance. It all culminates in awards ceremonies that will crown three new world champions.
Get on board with all the news from the World Finals at www.redbullpaperwings.com.
