BURNHAM high street was transformed into an airport for the day on Saturday when around 1,100 rookie ‘pilots’ entered the inaugural World Paper Aeroplane Championship.
The free event organised by Burnham and Highbridge Town Council involved competitors creating a paper plane design from a single A4 sheet of paper.
They then took turns to launch their planes down the makeshift runway in High Street.
However, it was not all ‘plane’ sailing for the entrants, who had to contend not only with some dubious origami but also a tricky, and very unpredictable, cross wind which kept the gathered crowd entertained.
The winning throw was a staggering distance of 31.40 metres by Syed Hassan, 43, from Surrey, currently working in Burnham.
Following his win Syed said: “This was the first time I have taken part in anything like this and after my first flight I was determined to win.
“I probably flew my paper plane over 20 times, but when it flew out over 30 metres I was over the moon.”
Town Centre Manager Bev Milner Simonds said: “Despite some tricky cross winds, a bird strike and additional obstacles of hanging baskets, the creativity of plane design, determination of frequent flyers and the high quality marshalling of the ground crew meant this was a great day out for friends and families.
“It was great to see so many families enjoying such simple fun and creating memories for years to come.”
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