15 steps to making the perfect paper aeroplane
8/4/2026
Translation: Elicia Payne
Pictures: Michael Restin
I’m not very good at DIY. But there’s one thing I can do: make the best paper aeroplane you’ve ever seen. My kids think it beats every YouTube tutorial.
Two kids, one screen and a ton of paper. That’s how I found them, in harmony. The latter being the biggest gift this Easter. I can’t believe my daughter and son are exploring a topic together, for which they only need a few sheets of A4 paper and a good fold-out map.
What’s even better? It’s a topic I actually know something about. As a child, I went through a phase where I was obsessed with paper aeroplanes. I made my favourite model from a craft book so many times back then that one day, when I’m in a nursing home with dementia, someone could still just hand me a stack of paper and I’ll know what to do. I suppose I’ll still be folding sheet after sheet into elegant gliders even then.
You can just smile politely at me rambling on about how I spent entire afternoons doing this with my cousin back in 1988 and eventually figured out the best model through a process of elimination. But the result will speak for itself. I may be the age to have lines, but I can fold some pretty well, too. Yesterday, today, tomorrow. Feeling confident, I tell the kids to forget about YouTube. Let dad show you instead.
Dad vs. YouTube 1:0
Opportunities to show off to my kids are becoming increasingly rare. Instead, I hear things like: «I’ve only been studying physics for a week, and you’re already clueless???» The paper aeroplanes come at just the right time; I’m going to savour this moment.
At first, I’m met with scepticism. The kids assume there’s just as much substance to my claims as there is to my advanced Latin certificate: little to none. You wait and see, I think to myself. For once, I know exactly what I’m doing and have little to no interest in those trendy origami books with colourful templates, rubber bands, and paper cutouts.
I see that they’ve ended up on the wrong track of YouTube with fuselage-wing aircraft, and my glider can outdo them. If it’s folded correctly and thrown with precision, it’ll succeed in the long run. It certainly turns heads. Every fold is a feast for the eyes.
At first, my son teases me because he hasn’t quite mastered the throwing technique yet. Then he, too, falls under the spell of the stable flying flounder, which can be positioned so precisely that I’m able to catch it out of the air with my mouth time and again.
A family secret
I’m a little shocked, because the kids are genuinely surprised that dad wasn’t bluffing. A part of me is proud, too. I love seeing our collection of paper aeroplanes grow almost every hour. Sometimes it really doesn’t take much to have fun together. Those are the best moments. Half in earnest, half in jest, we agree that from now on, the secret to the perfect flyer will be passed down orally from generation to generation.
Just in case – though it’s unlikely – they forget and I’m no longer quite up to the task when I’m in a nursing home someday, I’m writing down the instructions here.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Step 12
Step 13
Step 14
Step 15
Practice makes perfect
Stick with it, if your first attempts aren’t quite what you hoped for. It’ll take a few tries before you get used to the plane. For me, this plane’s still the best, but I’m open to new ideas. If you know of another guide that works every time, I’d love to hear your suggestion in the comments.
Michael Restin
Senior Editor
Michael.Restin@digitecgalaxus.chSimple writer and dad of two who likes to be on the move, wading through everyday family life. Juggling several balls, I'll occasionally drop one. It could be a ball, or a remark. Or both.
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