John M. Collins

Most people ask how I got started. The truth is I never stopped. At some point, I started studying origami. Armed with a new set of folding tools, my planes really started to take better shape and fly better.

With The Gliding Flight, the first book, I managed to do something that hadn't been done yet: a collection of high performance, folded planes. The premise was simple: the only resource needed would be available in the average waste basket. It was a freeing idea and the simplicity appealed to me: one sheet of paper, some folding, and a great flying toy is created. Origami has given me the tools to create planes with landing gear, engine nacelles, tunnels in the nose, and most importantly; clean, efficient wing and body shapes.

With Fantastic Flight, I was working on paper airplanes that could do extraordinary things: circle back, flip over and fly back upside down, flap their wings, and some that can stay aloft using an updraft created by the pilot. These bold ideas are based on simple science. Folding is all that's required, even for the Super Canard; and aircraft with a small forward wing.

With The New World Champion Paper Airplane Book, my paper airplanes are officially world class. The truth is, my designs have been flying around in the winner's circle at the Red Bull World Finals for aerobatics the last few years.

My fourth book is self-published and contains all the planes from my world famous paper airplane shows. "The World Record Paper Airplane and International Award Winning Designs: The Best of John M Collins and More Paper Airplane Book" is the book I'd want if I were starting to make paper airplanes.

I'm frequently asked, "What's your best paper airplane?" I can only answer with the question, "for what mission?" Do you need the best time aloft, the best distance, the best flapping wing, the most stall resistant, or the one that I've flown for more than a half hour?

I do a lot of public and private shows. I've been fortunate to see some of the world while showing off my planes. In any language the sound people make when they see the Bat Plane or the Tumbling Wing for the first time, is always the same. There's a gasp of wonder, some loud whispers of "no way"(or the equivalent) and a flurry of camera shutters. My dream has finally come true, and I'm making and throwing paper airplanes for a living. It's a crazy dream come true, and I invite you to join me for the fun.

Website

www.ThePaperAirplaneGuy.com

iPhone app: The Paper Airplane Guy's Construction Kit

YouTube Channel: The Paper Airplane Guy

Appearances:

Harvard Graduate School of Design

Carnegie Mellon

Stanford University

Clark University

Rice University

Mattel

Go Daddy

Boeing /Jeppeson

Hawaii Electric Company

Google Zeitgeist 2013

Sony PS4 conference 2013

Grupo RBS conference 2103

Maker Faire 2013

Evergreen Aviation 2013

Hiller Aviation 2013

Genentech, San Francisco 2011

Google, San Francisco 2010

Maker Fair, San Mateo 2010

Evergreen Aviation Museum, Portland Oregon 2010

Evergreen Aviation Museum, Oregon 2009

Hiller Aviation Museum, San Carlos, CA 2009

Mobius Children's Museum Fundraiser, Spokane, WA 2009

Maker Fair 2009

Parents Education Network Conference 2009

Charles Armstrong School 2009

INTUIT Designer Conference, Redwood City, CA 2008

Client: Intuit

Sebastopol Center for the Arts, Sebastopol, CA 2008

Art Science and Tech Day

The Tech Museum, San Jose, CA 2008

The Tech Challenge 2008-2009

Singapore Science Center, Singapore 2008

Amazing Flying Machine Competition

The Green School, Bali, Indonesia 2008

Special Invitation

Hiller Aviation Museum, San Carlos, CA 2008

Fly In 2008: Client Hiller Aviation Museum

* * Re:think Convention 2007

Client: Impact Unlimited

* * BIO 2006 - International Bio-tech convention, Chicago

Client: Quintiles

* * Maker Fair 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 - National Event in Association with Make Magazine. Main Stage demonstration.

Client: Maker Fair

* * Hiller Aviation Museum, San Carlos, CA 2007

Client: Hiller Aviation Museum

* * Book Expo America 2005, New York

* * Exploratorium (Science Museum) San Francisco - various dates

Clients: ASDI and Novell

Every national broadcast network and major cable channel carried video of the world record throw. Partial list of some personal appearances:

International TV

* * BBC

* * Singapore

* * TV Globo (Brazil and beyond)

National Television:

* * Conan

* * The Hallmark Channel "Home and Family"

* * CNN

* * DISCOVERY CHANNEL "NEXT STEP"

* * CBS "THIS MORNING"

Local Television:

* * KATU "AM Northwest

* * KPIX-TV (CBS Affiliate), San Francisco "EYE ON THE BAY"

* * KRON-TV (NBC Affiliate), San Francisco "SPORTS FINAL"

"THE MORNING NEWS" "BAY AREA BACKROADS" 5,6, and 11pm NEWS

* * KTVU-TV (FOX Affiliate), San Francisco "THE TEN O'CLOCK NEWS"

* * KING-TV (NBC Affiliate), Seattle "MORNING NEWS"