World record for paper airplanes held by Eglin AFB engineer

Mark Brighton

No matter what job anyone has, it is important to have a hobby or something to take their mind off of the stresses of the job. One Eglin AFB engineer's hobby has earned him an impressive distinction along with a job.

When Ken Blackburn saw the opening for an Eglin AFB position for an engineer who was an expert in small unmanned air vehicles, his eyes widened because he knew he was the perfect person for the job. That's because, Blackburn is a Guinness Record holder for the small unmanned air vehicles also known as paper airplanes, according to the News Herald.

"I'm just grateful my work and my passion outside of work can compliment each other," he told the news source. "One of the good things about paper airplanes is it allows you to be creative. I came up with the world record design when I was 12 years old."

Blackburn once broke the 15-second record for a paper plane's flight time as a kid, but was unaware that there was a record for it. When he realized that there was, he was 15 years old and broke the record officially when he was 20 in 1983. He broke it again in 1987, and in 1992. In 1996, a team from England broke and held the record for two years, before Blackburn regained his title in 1998, with a record of 27.6 seconds.

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