ROLLA 鈥� Dillon Ruble, an aerospace engineering major at Missouri University of Science and Technology, is graduating this month, but he won鈥檛 be at his graduation ceremony; he鈥檒l be at a paper airplane competition in Austria.
The St. Charles native will be representing the U.S. in Red Bull鈥檚 Paper Wings competition on May 14, pitting the best folders and flyers from around the world to see who鈥檚 best at making a humble sheet of paper into a flying machine.
鈥淚 entered because one of my fraternity brothers is the campus representative for Red Bull, and he mentioned the local qualifier for the competition, and I figured I鈥檇 give it a shot,鈥� Ruble said.
Ruble started by copying the design of the 2019 winner in the distance competition and adding his own modifications.
鈥淚鈥檝e done origami for 10 years, just off and on, and so I think that definitely helped a lot, just because I know folding techniques,鈥� he said.
His design has 10 folds at the tip, creating 20 layers of paper. The Paper Wings competition uses the A4 size of paper, which is 8.3 by 11.7 inches, slightly different from standard letter paper.
Ruble said he is drawing from many aspects of his background to succeed in paper airplane competition.
鈥淚 kind of have the trifecta. I have aerospace knowledge helping me out, origami, and I also played baseball for 12 years, and I was a pitcher, so I have a throwing arm as well,鈥� Ruble said.
Ruble鈥檚 design and arm led him to throw a paper airplane 196.9 feet at the national competition in Denver in April. Red Bull reports that鈥檚 a record distance.
There are three competitions at Paper Wings: distance, airtime and aerobatics. Salzburg will host 171 students from 57 countries.
Ruble said he鈥檚 spending 鈥渁 good amount of time鈥� practicing, but not at the expense of preparing for final exams. He鈥檚 hoping for some windless days so he can practice outdoors.
鈥淚鈥檝e tried practicing indoors in the gym, and I just hit the wall, like 30 feet up, across the room, so it鈥檚 kind of difficult, actually,鈥� Ruble said.
The winners of the competition will get to go up in real planes with the Flying Bulls, Red Bull鈥檚 stunt air team. But Ruble is just trying to focus on having fun.
鈥淚鈥檝e already met so many really great and smart people through this competition and building relationships that will last a long time,鈥� Ruble said. 鈥淎nd paper airplanes are fun. You have these memories of you and your friends when you鈥檙e kids making planes and enjoy watching the finished product after you鈥檝e made it.鈥�
Ruble will be in Austria during the Missouri S&T commencement ceremony, so he will probably walk across the stage in December. By then he will be six months into his job at Boeing, which he starts after graduation.
鈥淚鈥檓 not sure if this competition will go on my resume, but is sure is something fun to talk about,鈥� Ruble said.
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