The Guinness World Record Holder, Time Aloft of a Paper Airplane

The Guinness World Record Holder

"Time Aloft of a Paper Airplane"

The Ken Blackburn Story

My name is Ken Blackburn. I became a paper airplane pilot at the age of 6, but my fascination with paper airplanes really took off a few years later when I discovered a library book that included instructions for a simple square paper airplane. I was instantly hooked on the challenge of building and flying paper planes and improving my designs.

In 1977, I was given a Guinness Book of World Records. I realized that some of my own paper planes were coming very close to the World Record for Time Aloft. At that point, the record stood at 15 seconds.

There are three main requirements to attempt the world record throw: It must be attempted indoors. The flight must begin and end at ground level. And the plane must be made from one continuous sheet of paper.

I refined my paper airplane design and also tried to increase the speed of my throws by strengthening my throwing arm. While in college at North Carolina State University, I planned a shot at the World Record. With a plane I named "Old Bossy", I managed to challenge and break the World Record with a time of 16.89 seconds!! I had actually done it!

In 1987, I agreed to participate in a television program held at the Milwaukee Convention Center. With my trusty shoebox of paper airplanes in hand I traveled to Wisconsin. On my third throw, I did it again! The officials captured a flight of 17.20 seconds! A New World Record!!

In the early 1990s, while working at McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis, I met another engineer and aviation enthusiast, Jeff Lammers. We became good friends and after many discussions we agreed there just were not many good paper airplane books on the market. At first we self-published a paper airplane kit. After a couple years, Workman Publishing of New York saw the potential and together we published the first of a great series of World Record Paper Airplane Books.

And yes, the story continues... In 1994, I was asked to participate in a British show called "Record Busters" and was eager to take another shot at a new record. I worked even harder on improving my airplane design and my throw, and it all paid off as I again broke my former record with a flight of 18.8 seconds!!

In 1996, I was displaced from my seat as World Record Holder by a time of 20.9 seconds. In the necessary quest to regain the throne, I worked diligently on my plane design and launching arm. I even used a professional athletic trainer so I could further strengthen my throwing arm and therefore increase the height from which I could launch a plane. In the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, on October 8th, 1998, I was able to reach times of 21.3, 23.1, 24.2 seconds. My final throw achieved a time of 27.6 seconds!! I had once again regained the title.