For a moment, it looked like Jonathan Glover鈥檚 paper airplane would make a premature landing, dropping almost instantly after he sent it flying.

Then, it found an updraft and soared, landing well away from the 12-year-old Walnut Grove resident.

鈥淭hat was pretty far,鈥� Glover remarked, as Nehal Saleh from the Explore Science Club (ESC) paced off the distance with a tape measure and announced it was the longest flight yet.

But then, another 12-year-old, Martin Zou from Coquitlam, stepped up to the line in 91原创 City鈥檚 Buckley Park and let fly with his paper plane, which stayed airborne longer, landing several metres beyond Glover鈥檚 mark.

A gracious Glover, who told Zou he hadn鈥檛 been expecting to win, was happy with his second place finish and his prize, an airplane model kit.

Zou, who said it was his first-ever paper plane contest, was delighted with the outcome and his prize, a slightly more elaborate model kit.

Forty-two kids took part in the Saturday, July 9 event, the second paper airplane competition to be organized by ESC.

Saleh called it 鈥渁 fun way to engage with science鈥�

鈥淪ome of the students attended a workshop and we learned about the science of flight and what the forces of flight are,鈥� Saleh told the 91原创 Advance Times, 鈥渁nd learned how to build airplanes that fly, and how to move them in ways that allow them to fly.鈥�

Saleh thinks there will likely be a third paper airplane contest next year.

Established in 2018, the 91原创 City-based ESC offers nature-inspired science enrichment programs, Spring/Summer Break Care, and events for children aged three to 12.

More information can be obtained by visiting . or by emailing learn@explorescienceclub.com.

More photos from the day can be viewed online at the .

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