Paper airplanes throwing is not a child's play: record travel for five years around the world

69,14 m: that is so far, the record that a paper airplane has ever traveled, and that mid-may is attacked at the world championships. The chance that a Belgian oppergaai shoot, is small. Dries Feremans threw yesterday during the PA 'only' or 37.8 m.

From 16 to 18 of may in Salzburg the Red Bull Paper Wings Wereldfinale place, the world CHAMPIONSHIP paper airplanes to throw. Although we, as a child, all pilots have folded, is the perfect instance of a matter of the right paper, a excellent folding technique, aerodynamics and a trained werparm.

There are two types of pilots: the darts and gliders. "The darts are small airplanes with small wings, which you hard throws and fast, long distance travel," explains Didier Lelièvre of Technopolis. "The broader 'gliders' have more capacity and can longer remain in the air, but that you may just do not be too hard to throw."

The choice for one of both types depends on the record that you want to break. There is a category in which the flight time measuring, where the record currently in 27,9 seconds by the Japanese Takuo Toda from 2009. So far, the record is on the name of the American Joe Ayoob (34), with 69,14 m in 2012.

Ayoob made a career as a quarterback in the American football and therefore has a trained werparm. He shares the world record with John Collins (58), who called himself "The paper plane guy'. "I'm not a gifted thrower, but thanks to Joe I can concern myself with what I can best: lightning-fast paper airplanes. I'm the thinker, he is the doer. Together we form an excellent team," says Collins, who since 2014 to travel around the world to give lectures and demonstrations about paper airplanes, aerodynamics and origami. A full-time job, really.

Blue and green

In Belgium, the A4-size paper of 80 grams per square meter, the most common. "Usually, I use American stationery Astrobright, that slightly differs from the A4-size and the heavier it is," says Collins. "Or color plays a role? Blue and green feel less robust than red, yellow, or magenta, but don't ask me why. Very important when a paper airplane is that you very carefully fold and absolute symmetry is a must. The most common mistake is that someone on a plane folds, the one time test and then concludes that it is not good enough. I will you tell you: the magic begins only then. So are we, eventually, to the world record."

Collins will be in Salzburg his world record not defend. "When Red Bull the date announced, I was already booked for another event," he says laconically. Paper plane guy: it's a busy life.