Friday, August 24, 2007

Airplane Contest

One of the big highlights of the Smithsonian Air & Space museum is the paper airplane flying contest. It was this contest that inspired my many flights of airplanes with Daddy, Mommy and Felix. (In fact, while we were in DC, we had another flying contest from Felix balcony on the 4th floor of a building, Mommy set a new distance record by flying more than a block in the air.)

Anyway, in the Smithsonian contest, you have to fly your airplane through a small hoop. The person who does this the most times without missing wins the price (which is a plastic helicopter thing). I've competed in this even a ton of times without ever winning. Well, that all changed the Sunday before we left to go back to CA. It was early in the morning when Daddy and I arrived at the air & space. Nobody was at the contest area, so I though I would win by default. Eventually, a mommy with two Japanese children (a 3 year old girl and a 5-6 year old boy) arrived. The battle was on. I knew all the patter from the leader of the contest. In fact, she said I might as well get up and explain everything to the others. First trial through the ring---I made it. so did the boy. The girly had no clue how to hold a plane or in what direction to throw so she was eliminated. Second trial--I made it again---this tied my personal best record of two in a row. So did the Japanese boy. Third trial---I made it again---a new personal best. The Japanese boy missed! I won the prize.

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