Pilots from over 60 countries sought to reach new heights as they competed at the 2022 Red Bull Paper Wings World Final, where champions were crowned in three categories: Airtime, Distance and Aerobatics. 

All Distance and Airtime pilots were required to make their plane by folding a single, standardized sheet of A4 paper, while Aerobatics was all about creativity.

In the Airtime category, pilots threw their planes high into Hangar-7's arched glass ceiling, and aimed for the longest time between take-off and landing, with Pakistan's Muhammad Usman Saeed coming out on top with a time of 14.86 seconds, as he avoided folding under the pressure.

"See, most of the contestants had a plane which is called 'sky king,' so I had a different design that is a square paper plane. So I modified it a little bit and it gave me the results - I got the gold," said Saeed, Airtime category winner.

Serbia's Lazar Krstic reached new heights in the Distance category with a throw of 61.11 meters, where pilots got two attempts each to throw their paper plane the farthest distance on the 70-meter runway.

"I really wanted this win. I was working hard for it and in the end, it paid off. It's a great experience, I really like it," Krstic commented. "I'm competitive, but I really like to be around other people as well, and I got to meet even more people this time. I'm so happy. You'll see me again!"

(With input from AP)