P A P E R
P L A N E
by
Luv Parker

Video by RODNAE Productions from Pexels

of the wings and nose which can make them fly beyond imagination and into legend. The small changes I make to the plane are called trims. The trims can improve the flight characteristics of the plane. The changes can also negatively affect the

performance of the plane; causing them the crash shortly after liftoff. Paper airplanes or paper jets as they are sometimes called requires very little to make. A sheet of paper and some simple folding steps and in a matter of minutes you have a plane.

I can make a paper plane in less than one minute and have hours of fun. To make a good paper flyer starts with good paper. I use plain printer paper of any color. It’s best to use printer paper that has already been used and is being discarded.

You can even use newspaper pages to make the planes but I wouldn’t recommend it. Newspaper pages are too floppy. You need stiff light paper like those used in modern printers. I first learned about paper airplanes from my father. Before I could

make my own paper plane, my father would make it for me. Then I learned later on how to make them myself. Making paper airplanes for my friends was a favorite pass time at school. The most common type of paper airplanes are the basic,

the dart and the stable. I mostly make the stable flyer. The stable flyer is, as the name suggest, stable in the air and easy to make. It has the minimum number of folds which keeps the structure ridgid and robust and well balanced;

It can crash many times without getting badly damaged. The stable fly’s further than the rest and was used to set the world record for the longest paper airplane flight of 226 feet. But I have a secret. What if I told you that I have the

longest paper airplane flight in the history of mankind. Would you believe me? I am going to tell you a story of the day my paper plane flew above the clouds and into the sun. I never found it ever again. On that faithful day my friend and

I left school and walked down to the local shopping center. My parents worked at the shopping center so I would meet them there after school was done for the day. On this day the car parking lot was mostly empty so there was lots of space

available to play with our paper jets. I made one for myself and my best friend made one for himself. There are two ways I make my paper planes. Sometime I make them with a sharp pointy nose which makes them excellent for

cutting through the air. They don’t glide very well but they can be thrown to great heights. However, they are very inelegant flyers. The second way is to make them with a blunt or flat nose. These version glide very well but they cannot be

launched to great heights; the nose can also be adjusted to change the way it glides. Minutes passed by as we played and played. Over and over, we repeated the same routine: launch, watch it glide back to earth, and make trim adjustments as needed.

Sometimes the jets would stay aloft for 10 seconds or more before landing some distance away. We continued playing right up until it was almost time to leave. My friend Kent, gave up on his paper plane as it became damaged beyond

repair from the constant crashing and adjustments. My plane was still in good shape so I continued to fly it around the parking lot while Kent watches along. Finally, it was time to leave. So, I gathered up my plane and we began to walk towards

the main entrance of the building to meet our parents. Just at the edge of the parking lot where the sidewalk began, I decided to give the paper airplane one last fly before I head indoors. Little did I know that a magical event would take

place with that final throw. I adjusted the trims one last time and pointed to the sky and threw the craft into the air. At the same time a slight breeze whipped up at my feet and swirled around me. I looked up at the paper

plane to observe its motion fully expecting it the glide back to earth, but it failed to return. It seemed almost stuck in midair, Kent and I marveled at what came next. The plane made two circles in midair parallel to the ground and did the impossible;

It began to go higher and higher circling some more. “it’s going higher!” I shouted to Kent. We both started to jump for joy yelling at the paper plane to keep going higher and it did. Soon the airplane was higher than all the surrounding

buildings like a soaring bird going about its business. Then it stopped circling and began flying straight we ran after it as it flew over tall trees and building; it kept going and going, higher and higher. We followed the plane across roads, around buildings

and through the trees trying to keep up the best we could. Soon we came upon a river which was about 200 meters from where we started. The river ran through a man-made canal which was about 3 meters deep from the road.

Unable to continue or pursuit all we could do is look up in amazement as the paper jet continued its impossible flight towards the sun. Soon it disappeared beyond sight. That night, I lay in my bed and wondered where did the plane go.

My imagination flooded with possibilities. It was a magical moment in my life that I will never be able to repeat and will never forget.

The End