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Description

Create, fly, and compete in this paper plane challenge inspired by Amy Johnson.
Perfect for INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY in March.

Instructions courtesy The Scout Association
https://www.scouts.org.uk/activities/amy-johnsons-air-races/

Resources

Something to mark lines (for example, chalk, masking tape, or rope)
A4 paper
Craft materials (for example, tissue paper, pipe cleaners, stickers)
Clean items of recycling
Pens or pencils
Rulers
Scissors
Tape measure
Paper clips
Amy Johnson and Emilia Earhart's stories (included below)

Instructions

Before you begin

Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. There’s also more guidance to help you carry out your risk assessment including examples.
Make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.
Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help.

Planning and setting up this activity

Set up a designated area for people who are waiting or building their planes. This space can also be used between
rounds for design adjustments.
Create a score sheet to mark down where each plane lands and how many points it earns.
Mark out a starting line and a safe throwing space. You may want to set up two or three throwing spaces.
Use a tape measure to place cones or markers every 1m from the throwing line. Continue marking every metre until
the end of your space. In this game, each metre equals 10 points (for example, 2 m = 20 points, 3 m = 30 points, etc.).
You could award extra points for creativity or teamwork.
You could print and place a few copies of the instructions from the ‘How to Make a Paper Aeroplane’ section on the
craft tables for people to follow.

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

Scissors
Supervise young people appropriately when they’re using scissors. Store all sharp objects securely, out of the reach of young people.
Sharp objects
Teach young people how to use sharp objects safely. Supervise them appropriately throughout. Store all sharp objects securely, out of the reach of young people.
Active games
The game area should be free of hazards. Explain the rules of the game clearly and have a clear way to communicate that the game must stop when needed. Take a look at our guidance on running active games safely.

Running this activity

1. Gather everyone together and ask if anyone has heard of Amy Johnson or Amelia Earhart. Share their inspiring stories
with the group (SEE STORIES BELOW).
2. Explain that everyone will take part in Amy’s air races by making their own aeroplane. It can be big or small, simple or
complex, colorful or plain—the key is to design it to fly as far as possible. Encourage thinking creatively, like adding
paper clips or other items to help the plane fly faster.
3. Get everyone started on building their planes. Once finished, they can color them in or give them a name. (TEMPLATES FOR DIFFERENT STYLES OF PAPER PLANE CAN BE FOUND IN THE ATTACHED PDF)
4. Once people have made their plane, they can colour it in or give their plane a name.
5. Depending on your space, players can work in small groups with separate throwing areas, throw as a group from the
same line, or take turns one at a time.
6. Show the throwing space and markers, explaining that each marker is 1 meter apart. Each meter equals 10 points (so
2m = 20 points, 3m = 30 points, etc.). Bonus points can also be awarded for creativity or teamwork.
7. The goal is to throw the paper aeroplane as far as possible. Let everyone know how many rounds there will be—we
recommend five rounds. Keep track of scores after each round.
8. You may wish to demonstrate to everyone how to throw, reminding players that their throwing technique affects how
far the plane flies. They can try throwing upwards, low to the ground, or with a longer arm swing.
9. After each round, players can return to the craft table to tweak their planes.
10. Call the first person or group to the throwing line. You might do a countdown or blow a whistle before everyone
throws their planes.
11. Once the planes land, someone should note down the scores.
12. After planes land, note the scores. Players retrieve their planes only when instructed by an adult. Then the next group
steps up to throw. Continue until everyone has finished the round.
13. Repeat for the set number of rounds. Remember, players can adjust their planes between throws to experiment with
different designs or weights for better flight.
14. At the end, tally the scores, award any bonus points for creativity, teamwork, or sportsmanship, and announce the
winners. Happy flying!

Referee rules

If throwing in small groups, if planes hit each other in mid-air, the referee decides if a rethrow is allowed.
If a plane lands outside of the throwing area or a player steps over the line, the referee also decides whether to deduct
points or if they’re disqualified from that round.
Make sure all players know the rules beforehand.

Reflection

This activity was all about making paper planes and learning about women in stem. What can you remember about Amy or
Amelia? What do you think it’s like to y a proper plane? How do you think Amy Johnson felt on her solo flights? What
would you say to her?
We made paper planes. How did everyone find that activity? Was it easy to make the planes? The paper planes can be hard
to make too, especially if it’s your first time making them. Did you have to persevere and try, try and try again? And what did
you think of when you were designing your plane – how did you try to get it to y better?
How did everyone find flying their planes? How far did everyone’s planes get, and did you make any adjustments to get
them to y faster? Did you find any good techniques? And what would you do to make it better next time?
Change the level of challenge
To make it easier, you could have some planes pre-made for people to use.
To make it harder, you could play again and add in some obstacles to make it more difficult, such as:
Trying to get the paper aeroplane through a hoop
Landing on a bullseye target mat on the floor
Landing in a hoop or bucket
Flying low under a table

Make it accessible

If anyone needs help or struggles with fine motor skills, give them the opportunity to work in pairs, with a young leader or
an adult volunteer. Alternatively, you could have some pre-made planes for people to decorate. Make sure the start line and
throwing space is accessible to everyone, too.

Take it further
If you enjoyed this activity, write a story imagining you’re a pilot like Amy Johnson. Where would you fly? What would you
see from your plane? Draw or paint the views from your adventure and design your own plane. Let your imagination soar
and dream of exciting destinations!


------------------------------
AMELIA EARHART'S STORY
Amelia Earhart was born in Kansas, USA on 24 July 1897. She decided that she wanted to become a pilot in her youth, and saved up for lessons herself. She eventually became one of the most famous pilots of all time. She worked several jobs to save up the $1,000 that she needed to pay for flying lessons.

As a child, Amelia would spend time climbing trees, sledging and playing games outside. She also kept a collection of worms, moths, katydids and a tree toad that she and her sister had collected. Amelia was home-schooled, and she graduated from high school in 1916. She aspired to have a career in a male-dominated field, keeping a scrapbook of newspaper clippings about other women who had succeeded in fields such as engineering, management, law, and directing.

Her teacher was Anita Snook, a pioneer aviator who was the first woman aviator to run her own aviation business. After lots of hard work and training, Amelia learned to fly. She became the 16th woman in the United States to receive a pilot's licence in 1923.

Amelia set her first record in October 1922, when she flew to an altitude of 4,300 metres, setting a world record for female pilots. In 1928, Earhart became the first woman to fly, as a passenger, across the Atlantic Ocean. Then, in 1932, Amelia Earhart flew solo across the Atlantic Ocean, becoming the first woman to do so. Three years later, in 1935, she became the first aviator to fly solo from Honolulu, Hawaii to Oakland, California.

During her career, Amelia became a popular figure for the public, and was considered a celebrity. She was a campaigner for aviation and hoped to convince the public that flying was a viable means of travel. Amelia participated in several air races during her career. She also became involved in the Ninety-Nines, which were an organisation of female pilots who championed women in aviation. Amelia became the first president of the organisation in 1930.

In 1937, Amelia attempted to circumnavigate the globe, as she wanted to become the first woman ever to do so. Unfortunately, Amelia and her navigator Fred Noonan mysteriously disappeared over the Pacific Ocean. There are many theories as to what happened to Amelia Earhart. The most likely explanation for her disappearance is that her plane experienced a malfunction and crashed. She was declared lost at sea in 1939.
------------------------------
AMY JOHNSON'S STORY
Amy Johnson was a pioneering pilot from England who quickly became one of the most famous aviators of her time. She learned to fly in 1928 and gained her pilot’s licence in 1929. Amy also trained as a ground engineer, learning how to maintain and repair aircraft, which was very unusual for women in those days.

In 1930, Amy made a historic solo flight from England to Australia, flying more than 11,000 miles. She navigated using only a compass and simple maps, without any radio communication or weather reports. The journey took 20 days, during which she faced many challenges including bad weather, mechanical problems, and loneliness. Though she did not break the speed record she hoped for, Amy’s achievement made her a worldwide celebrity and earned her the nickname “Queen of the Air.” Her plane, called Jason, is now kept in the Science Museum in London and can be visited by the public.

After her flight, Amy set more records. In 1931, she and her former instructor flew from London to Japan in a record-breaking 10 days. She also flew solo from London to Cape Town in 1932, breaking that record again in 1936. Amy married fellow aviator Jim Mollison in 1932, and together they flew on several high-profile flights.

During the Second World War, Amy joined the Air Transport Auxiliary in 1940. She flew military aircraft from factories to airfields without radios or navigation aids, often in dangerous weather. On 5 January 1941, she took off on a routine flight but went off course and had to parachute into the Thames Estuary. Despite search efforts, her body was never found, and the exact circumstances of her death remain a mystery.

Amy Johnson’s name is remembered on war memorials and through statues in her honour. She remains an important figure in British aviation history.

Source: The Historic England Blog, The Extraordinary Story of Pioneering Aviator Amy Johnson

Places to visit for more information:

The flight gallery at the London Science Museum has Amy's biplane, Jason, on display
Amy's trophies and souvenirs are now permanently on display at Sewerby Hall, the house Amy had opened in 1936.

Tags

• air
• air acivities
• Air Activities - build a model
• inspiration
• International Womens Day

Badge Links

• Air Activities - Paper
• Air Activities - Recycled Aircraft