By Reagan Hunter | Reporter
Footballs often fly through the air at McLane Stadium, but Oct. 18 will bring a different airborne object.
The Waco Buzz is bringing its first “Paper Airplane Championship” 4-6 p.m. that day to McLane Stadium, turning part of the stadium into an arena where families, Baylor students and the broader Waco community can compete to see whose homemade plane can land closest to a target on the field.
Participants will have unlimited throws, with the closest landing to the target taking home a trophy and a year’s supply of Joyride Candy. The event will also include a buffet dinner from the Baylor Club and airplane-building assistance from the Mayborn Museum.
For founder and head of community at The Waco Buzz Sam Harper, the idea began after friends hosted a smaller version of the competition in Cincinnati.
“I have three kids, and they are always making stuff in our house and trying to throw it and just having so much fun doing it,” Harper said.
After seeing viral videos of fans throwing paper airplanes from stadium seats onto fields, Harper wondered if the experience could work in Waco. He eventually approached the Baylor Club about using McLane Stadium.
“It’s the only space in Waco that you can be high up trying to throw a paper airplane at a target and have it feel a little bit more cool compared to just standing on the ground and seeing who can throw it the farthest,” Harper said.
Dawn Whelan, director of private events at the Baylor Club, has worked alongside Harper to bring the championship to life.
“Who doesn’t love the nostalgia of building an airplane and throwing it?” Whelan said. “What better place to throw it than the bleachers from McLane Stadium, such a big facility?”
Harper said bringing the event to life took months of planning and plenty of problem-solving before the championship could finally happen. He and Whelan spent time exploring different parts of McLane Stadium, searching for the spot that would give participants the best chance of landing their planes on the field.
Whelan said the team tested several locations, considering factors like height and the way wind moves through the stadium. In the end, they chose a spot closer to the field, giving competitors a clear shot at the end zone and even the opportunity to fly their planes through the goalposts.
Guests will check in near the stadium’s main staircase before heading to the concourse behind the end zone. The Baylor Club will provide food, beverages and hospitality, while the Mayborn Museum will help participants design and build their planes.
“The whole idea there is just to point out amazing resources that are in our backyard,” Harper said.
The championship is presented by L3Harris, an aerospace and defense technology company with operations in Waco. Harper said the partnership connects the simple activity of building paper airplanes with a company involved in the aerospace industry.
Whelan, who studied physics while attending Baylor, said she is particularly excited to see how participants approach their designs.
“I am really excited to see some of the designs that people are coming up with, just to see how that affects the aerodynamics of the flight,” Whelan said. “Who can be the most creative? Who’s got the most effective plane?”
She also hopes the experience could spark a longer-term interest in science or flight for younger kids.
“I think part of what fuels young people’s desire to learn as they get older and have an interest in something is an experience in childhood that really resonated with them,” Whelan said.
For The Waco Buzz, the championship expands its lineup of community gatherings and gives Harper a chance to create an event that appeals to different generations.
“Whether you’re a family with kids, whether you’re a college student, whether you’re an empty nester, whatever stage you might be, there’s an aspect of it that you could find enjoyable,” Harper said.
If the championship succeeds, both Harper and Whelan said it could return in the future.
“If it is successful, I definitely think it would be something we would want to host again in partnership with The Buzz,” Whelan said. “It’s a large facility, so there’s a lot of different places where you can throw a paper airplane.”
Ultimately, Harper said the goal extends beyond finding Waco’s best paper airplane builder.
“I’m trying to just be a host to help people have more fun in real life, off screens,” Harper said. “I’m hoping that this has the ability to continue to grow and maybe even becomes something that we do annually.”
Registration for the Paper Airplane Championship closes Oct. 13. Tickets are $12, but Children 3 and younger do not need a ticket.
