KICKSTARTER

HI! We are Phil Kibbe, Ben Saks and Jack Shannon, and we are working hard on FLOAT, a documentary currently being filmed that explores the fascinating world of Indoor Free Flight Duration Aeronautics.

Our story started over two years ago with 30 seconds of cell phone video. Since then we have traveled thousands of miles and captured beautiful footage in HD. Now we are reaching out for your support to finish!

When you pledge to FLOAT we send you awesome rewards! You could download the film at a reduced price, and get to build and fly a plane of your very own! I will send you a Kit of your choice! 

The kits are educational and will include access to digital plans and notes, access to a video for construction, and of course the necessary balsa, wire, covering materials and miscellany and printed plans in a mailing tube. There are 3 types of Kits: MINI STICK, PENNY PLANE, AND F1D 

The goal of FLOAT is to document Indoor in its current state, and most importantly bring much needed attention and an injection of new and excited participants to help perpetuate this beautiful hobby.

You can keep this hobby alive. By pledging you are becoming a member of the Indoor community, and get to build and fly a plane of your very own!

With your support the team will be able to travel in August to Belgrade, Serbia to attend the 2012 F1D World Championships for Indoor Aeromodeling to film and interview the competitors representing countries all over the world. We will also travel to the the homes and workshops of many competitors in England, Romania, Germany, Argentina and Japan.

IF OUR PROJECT IS NOT FUNDED, WE WILL HAVE TO WAIT 2 YEARS FOR THE NEXT F1D WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN 2014.

Indoor is pursued by people from all walks of life and many countries around the world It has never been captured before in such remarkable detail. Competitors design, construct, and fly ultra lightweight airplanes powered only by a wound rubber band. 

WEIGHING AS LITTLE AS A DOLLAR BILL, the planes are free-flight, meaning that they do not use any manual controls to fly, relying only on the skill of the builder and the design in order to stay aloft. This hobby embodies the root of all modern aviation, as the first powered fixed wing flying device capable of stable flight was the Planophore model airplane designed by Alphonse Pénaud in 1871 and powered by a rubber band. Alphonse's design directly influenced the Wright Brothers.

Thanks to the generous backers of our first Kickstarter Campaign in July 2010, we were able to begin filming FLOAT. All funds raised went directly towards the costs of travel, crew, and equipment for filming the 2010 World Championships in Belgrade Serbia. In February 2011, FLOAT's Trailer was discovered by blogs and news outlets:

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“...Imagine spending 40 years of your life building self-propelled airplanes that weigh as much as a paperclip but maintain altitude for over 30 minutes. Oh, and you’d like to compete with others who do the same thing? Just catch the next flight to Serbia.”  THIS IS COLOSSAL

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"These beautiful dragonfly-like model planes can float for up to half an hour under the power of one single-wound rubber band. Check out the trailer for Float posted by Phil Kibbe. Amazing craftsmanship and techniques!"  BOINGBOING.NET

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“…The goal isn’t to fly, but to float: to prolong the wonder, essentially, of flying. I suspect they’re the kind of planes Alexander Calder would have made, if he’d been into making airplanes.”   THE BOSTON GLOBE

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“F1D models are the elite of any endurance contest, with a one-hour flight established as the ultimate goal.” PILOT MAGAZINE

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“…This beautifully shot trailer is my first exposure to the world of indoor rubber-powered model airplanes. One single wound rubber motor keeps these dragonflies hovering for half an hour, on average, with the world record being over an hour. And honestly, even if they didn’t go anywhere, they’re perfectly perfect to look at.”  GIZMODO

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HISTORY AND PROCESS

In the last two years, Float Pictures followed the developments of the current F1D World Championship cycle filming many interviews, even traveling to Argentina to meet the first team participating in 30 years. We have spent much of our own money, and now we need funds to continue filming. We are running out of time to follow these competitors as they prepare for and to travel to Belgrade, Serbia in August for the 2012 F1D World Championships.

Current designs of these airplanes can fly for over 30 minutes on a single wound rubber motor, and the world record for time aloft is over one hour. These planes fly indoors, in beautiful architecture; large open spaces such as sporting arenas and aircraft and blimp hangers. The majority of participants in this hobby are over the age of 50, and the hobby itself is aging. As the digital age envelopes the younger generations, this hobby is becoming a lost art.

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