Paper Airplane Contests
Challenge your friends and unleash your creative engineering skills with an exciting paper airplane contest. Download the rules and a handy scorecard to get started.
This exciting activity is designed for kids and adults who love paper airplanes and also a little friendly competition. Here you'll find instructions for setting up the contest, rules for holding the competition and a scorecard to keep track of each participant's flight attempts.
Participating in this competition is a lot of fun, and it also encourages critical thinking and problem-solving as you design and modify paper airplanes for optimal performance. You'll learn about the basic principles of aerodynamics, aeronautical engineering and physics while observing the flight characteristics of your creations.
Types of Paper Airplane Competitions
In our list of paper airplane party games, we mentioned the idea of having a paper plane tournament. This was a popular suggestion, and we've heard from readers that they wanted more details on how run this type of game. We have come up with three different types of paper airplane contests: Distance, Time-Aloft, and Accuracy. Please keep reading for the details of each one.
For any of these contests, the Referee should decide which tools and accessories will be allowed (size of paper, number of pieces of paper, tape, staples, paperclips, scissors, etc). The Referee should make sure that every participant has the same supplies, so that nobody has an unfair advantage.
Since each participant will have multiple attempts to throw their paper airplane, the Referee should decide ahead of time if the "average" score or "best" score will be what determines the winner.
General Rules for All Contests
- Each participant will have three attempts to throw their paper airplane. The same paper airplane must be used for all attempts. Participants may use only those materials allowed by the Referee.
- If another participant interferes with any attempt, then a re-do will be allowed and the interfering participant may have one of their attempts disqualified at the discretion of the Referee.
- A participant may choose to forfeit any of their attempts.
- The Referee may disqualify any participant or attempts at their discretion.
- The average and max scores will be calculated based on those attempts that were not disqualified or forfeited.
Paper Airplane Distance Contest
Who can throw their paper airplane the furthest?
This is the classic contest for paper airplanes because most people are interested in making a paper plane that can fly a long ways. To setup this contest, first find a large area with at least 50 feet of open space. Mark a "Start Line" on the ground. All measurements will be done from this line, but the Referee must choose which method will be used to measure distance.
1) True Distance: In a straight line from the start line to wherever the paper airplane first lands, even if that paper airplane flies at an angle. This gives the true distance for the paper airplane flight, but it is less convenient because every attempt must be measured by hand, or the field must be marked with arcs which can be difficult.
2) Straight Line: In a straight line from the start line down the center of the field. If the paper airplane flies at an angle and lands away from the center line, then the Referee will trace the shortest path from the plane to the center line. This method is easier because the field can be marked off ahead of time and measuring will be quicker, however it means that paper planes that fly at an angle are at a small disadvantage. This may be desired as it will incentivize accuracy in throwing along a straight line.
Extra Rules (In addition to the general rules above)
- Participants must throw their paper airplane with their feet behind the start line. A running start and jump is allowed, but if any part of the participant's body touches the ground beyond the start line, then that attempt will be disqualified.
- The release of the airplane, and the participant's hand or arm may extend over the start line.
- Distance will be measured from the start line to where the paper airplane first touches the ground. If the paper airplane touches an obstacle or flies out of bounds, then the measurement will be made to the point on the ground directly below the point of contact with the obstacle or out-of-bounds line.
Scorecard
You will need a scorecard to record each participant's attempts. The scorecard should have a place for each person's name, three columns to record their distances, and another column to record either the average distance, max distance or both. Make your own, or download our pre-made scorecard to get started quickly.
Time Aloft Contest
Whose paper airplane can stay up in the air the longest?
This is a different type of paper airplane contest. Instead of going for distance, you are going for time. The paper airplane that stays in the air the longest is the winner. To setup this contest, first find a large area with at least 50 feet of open space. The Referee will need an accurate time-keeping device that they can start and stop without looking at it.
Extra Rules (In addition to the general rules above)
- Participants may throw their paper airplane from anywhere in the play field that they choose.
- A running start and jumping are allowed as long as the participant is jumping from the ground. In other words, no standing on chairs, tables or ladders.
- The timer will be started when the paper airplane is released from the participant's hand.
- The timer will be stopped at the moment when the airplane touches the ground, any obstacle, or strays out of bounds.
Scorecard
Similar to the distance contest, the scorecard for this one should have a place for each person's name, three columns to record their times, and another column to record either the average time, max time or both. Make your own, or download our pre-made scorecard to get started quickly.
Accuracy Contest
Who can aim their paper airplane the best?
The third type of paper plane contest is an accuracy tournament. The goal is to throw your paper airplane as close as possible to a target. To setup, find an open area and decide on a target. The target can be anything that the Referee chooses. It could be a stick in the ground. It could be a bucket, can, box or basket placed on the play field. It could be a ring or hoop suspended from a string. It could also be a poster, a bullseye or just a piece of tape placed on the wall.
A "Start Line" should be marked on the ground at least 10 feet (3 meters) away. The further away, the more difficult the contest will be. If the target is more than 30 feet (9 meters) away from the start line, the contest will be quite difficult.
Extra Rules (In addition to the general rules above)
- Participants must throw their paper airplane with their feet behind the start line. A running start and jump is allowed, but if any part of the participant's body touches the ground beyond the start line, then that attempt will be disqualified.
- The release of the airplane, and the participant's hand or arm may extend over the start line.
- Distance will be measured from the center of the target to wherever the paper airplane first touches the target, the ground, any obstacle or out-of-bounds line.
Scorecard
The scorecard for this contest is nearly the same as for the distance contest. It should have a place for each person's name, three columns to record their distances, and another column to record either the average distance, max distance or both. Make your own, or download our pre-made scorecard to get started quickly.
Download
We have prepared everything that you need in a convenient PDF document that you can download. If you have a Pilot's License, you can easily download and print the paper airplane contest rules, setup instructions and handy scorecard. It includes everything in this article plus a pre-made scorecard and it's all you'll need to get started.
Let your imagination take flight as you fold, toss, and soar your way to becoming the ultimate paper airplane champion! Have a blast, and may the best aviator win!