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Flying Into Finals

Landing page for Flying Into Finals event at TCC Southeast, April 27, 2025.

Contest Rules and Entry Form

SIGN UP FOR THE PAPER AIRPLANE CONTEST HERE! 

You may enter in any or all of the following categories: Distance, Precision, and Design. All entries must adhere to the following:

 General Rules 

  1. Materials: Must include (but is not limited to) materials provided at the TCC Library Table. 

  •  Must be predominantly paper! Prohibited materials – Cardboard, Balsa Wood, Foam, 3D Printed Materials. 

  1. Must be recognizable in appearance as a paper airplane – no rockets, kites, wads of paper, etc. 

  1. Size Limit: Paper airplane must fit within a designated shoebox before launch. 

  1. Weight Limit: Maximum weight 10 grams.  Scales will be used onsite prior to launch.

Distance Rules 

  1. Distance will be measured from launch line to location where the plane first touches the ground, rounding up to the nearest inch.

  1. Each contestant gets 3 throws, use best distance. 

  1. Tie-breaks will be determined by a throw-off. Throw-off distances are only used as tie-breaks and are not used in overall distance calculations for final scores.

  1. Top 3 Distances win first, second, and third prize packages.

 Precision Rules 

  1. A horizontal, ground-level target area, consisting of concentric scoring rings similar in design to an archery target, will serve as the field of play for the precision contest.  Each concentric ring has a numbered point value that increases as you move inward, with the bullseye as the highest point value.

  2. Each contestant gets 3 throws, which will be added together to determine the score.

  3. If the plane is straddling two rings, the furthest ring from the bullseye will be the score of that throw.

  4. If the airplane does not land on the target, it receives a score of zero. 

  5. Top 3 total scores win first, second, and third.

  6. In the case of any ties, a one-round throw-off will be conducted, closest to bullseye wins. 

Design Rules 

  1. Be prepared to speak for approximately 60 seconds about your materials and design choice. A written paragraph may be substituted for this requirement, which will be included as a completion component of the final score (10 points completed / 0 points not completed).

  1. The paper airplane is scored 1-10 in 3 additional areas - Innovation, Structural Integrity/Aerodynamics, and Aesthetics - for a maximum possible score of 40. 

  1. Innovation: The use of original folding patterns or designs, rather than following standard paper airplane instructions. 

  1. Structural integrity and basic aerodynamics - Plane must be intact after three throws/flights, at  least one of which must cover 15 feet or more. 

  2. Aesthetics: Visual appeal and distinctive style, which can include (but is not limited to) color scheme, aircraft name, decorations, and creative flourishes that give the airplane personality and flair. Judging will consider both the craftsmanship and the “wow factor” that makes the design memorable.

SIGN UP FOR THE PAPER AIRPLANE CONTEST HERE!