Atchison County Historical Society
Dedicated to preserving, promoting, recording and sharing
the history of Atchison County, Kansas since 1967

First Paper Airplane Competition set to name best Paper Aviator 2007

Divisions for Pioneer Club Members and Open Competition set for Saturday, July 21st during AEFest

The Atchison County Historical Society will host the First Atchison Paper Aviator Competition during this year's Amelia Earhart Festival. The Education Booth and Paper Aviator Airport will be on the 700 Block of Commercial Street on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

There will be two competitions one for members of the ACHS Pioneer Club (youth from 4th to 7th grades) and the second which will be open to all.

The Pioneer Club competition will take place from 11 a.m. to noon with special training sessions, chances to try out different types of flying machines and a trophy to the first place Paper Aviator with prizes for other Pioneer Club Members. Anyone wishing to join the Pioneer Club - Atchison County (and immediate surrounding area) youth in 4th through 7th grades may join. Club members have monthly programs and activities geared just for them. Click here to get more information on the Pioneer Club and access a printable membership form. There is no fee for membership.

After the Pioneer Club competition wraps up at noon, qualification flights for the open class begins. From noon to 4 p.m. anyone may come to the booth to learn more about paper airplanes and aviation in general, learn a basic airplane to fold, take practice flights and then step up for a qualification flight. Those whose qualifacation flight meets the minimun flight distance and whose airplane passes inspection - will qualify for the finals which will begin promptly at 4 p.m.

The winner of the Open Class will receive a trophy, with 2nd and 3rd places receiving other prizes. The winners of both the Pioneer Club and Open Classes will have their names, airplanes and pictures on exhibit in the Atchison County Historical Society Museum for the next year.

This is the first year the Atchison County Historical Society has hosted the full contest and awardes trophies for the winning flights. Full rules for the competition are below.

Rules for the Atchison County Paper Aviator Championships at the Amelia Earhart Festival

1- Any member of the Pioneer Club or Public attending the Amelia Earhart Festival is eligible to compete.

2- There is no entry fee - and no advance knowledge or design of paper airplane is necessary - paper to fold the plane for competition will be supplied at the festival.

3- Entries are limited to 2 per person per event.

4- Entries must be folded at the festival by the participant - parents may assist - but may not fold for the youth entrant.

5- Only 8 1/2 x 11 paper is allowed. A single paper clip is allowed - but ties go to the plane without a paperclip. No tape, glue or any other substance beyond the single sheet of paper is allowed. A design may use the single sheet of paper in multipe pieces as long as no more than a single paper clip is used to hold them together.

6- Paper Airplane must have a wingspan of at least 3 inches.

7- No length requirement is mandated for the contest.

8- Only human arm strength may be used to power the entry.

9- Entrants must stay behind the flight line to have a legal flight.

10- Open competition qualifiers - planes will be held until the final competition - qualifies will write their name and contact info on their plane or paper attached to the plane.

11- Qualifying flights must land within the qualifying area and are judged by marked distance (must fly past qualification mark to move on to finals).

12- Finalists must be on hand at the time their name is called to make a finals flight - they will have one final opportunity after all other qualifiers have flown.

13- On the judges call a final three to five planes may have a fly-off to decide the champion from all finalist qualifiers. The judge may award the winners after the single finalist flight at their descretion.

14- The finals will have only one entry per person even if entrant qualifies two planes for the finals (the entrant may choose their best plane for competition).

15- Accurcy to the center line of the flight path is the tie breaker in the finals.

16- The Judges decision on any issue is final.

 

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Atchison County Historical Society

200 S. 10th Street, Santa Fe Depot • P.O. Box 201 • Atchison, KS 66002 • 913-367-6238

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