Well we waited all winter for it to get warm so we could head out to the great world of adventure. And on one of our first yearly forays out, the family and I decided to go to Big Run Park to launch some airplanes.

But it wasn't your regular trip to toss airplanes. No, this one took preparation. First I had to build the planes, then search for shoes and socks and all that fun stuff for the kids. It took me a while because I had to make the boys some of the fancy designs from The Ultimate Paper Airplane. See, I found this book back in middle school, and I can't waste my time anymore with just any airplanes. And, my boys seem to feel the same. (Unfortunately, they seem to feel more inclined to these high-tech paper gizmos because they pawn off the construction phase to their old man.)

To build these things you need to have scissors and tape and paper clips and paste and a ruler... it's not always a walk in the park. Half-way through a few I always find myself calling May-Day...

Why do I like these planes so much? Well they fly well, and I'm amazed at how well the planes tend to land. They can rocket into the sky or loop gracefully and dive acrobatically with much more stable motion than a normal paper airplane.

My boys love these planes.

If you have kids you should pick up a copy of The Ultimate Paper Airplane by Richard Kline and Floyd Fogleman. It will give them (and you) a creative and educational way to spend your time.

Further Reading & Links

Paper Airplane links page
Paper Airplanes by John P. Crotty
Aerogami Paper Airplanes