KEN BLACKBURN
“A record is always in danger”
Role model, competitor or development assistant. Whatever the case, Ken Blackburn holds high the flag of the paper airplane community. The 43-year-old American will be sitting on the jury at the Red Bull Paper Wings finals in Salzburg’s Hangar 7.
Paper airplanes are more than just a hobby for you, right?
I came home one day as a child and asked my parents a question, and I still remember it well. The answer was: ‘If you want to build airplanes, you have to become an aviation engineer.’ In order to come closer to my dream profession, I folded paper all day long. Since my childhood, roughly 400 different designs have sailed through the air between my desk, terrace and waste basket.”
You now work as an aircraft designer. Does this make your paper airplanes better than those of other people?
I worked for Boeing for 19 years, and now I do research in aerodynamics for the US Air Force. The fact that I find it easy to understand aerodynamic laws and put them to use is something of an advantage at my job. At the same time, I believe that anyone can make good paper airplanes.
You set your first world record in the category of “longest airtime” in 1983 (16.89 seconds). You are now 43 years old and your record is at 27.6 seconds. Is there a secret to your success?
Both preparation and the lack of wind are prerequisites. It takes several weeks to make the most efficient throwing technique automatic and to train oneself in the correct amount of force. Because there is no perfect model, the paper airplane itself is not 100 percent decisive.
Seminars, presentations, four books. You seem to be a sought-after man. And more than two million of your books have made their way into the hands of readers.
I enjoy that I can share my great passion with so many people. In my lectures, children listen with bright eyes, older listeners attempt doggedly to follow the folding instructions. As usual. It seems like interest is constantly growing. Red Bull Paper Wings naturally contributes to this as well.
A record is always in danger. But a 27.6 second flight is the result of a number of factors. Should it happen, I will naturally accept the challenge. I have been training recently as well, and in Salzburg I will demonstrate a long flight – though not as part of the competition.
