Matt,

I know this specific question was in reference to the NATS because I talked to Tim about it last week. I realize you are not worried about logistics, but that is what it comes down to and as such you have to make some assumptions, unless some people decide to step up and help out. Lets say you are flying Advanced at the NATS and someone won each of the first 4 rounds, and you were sitting in second. The planes are weighed after round 5, and the guy in first is overweight. Under your logic, you still lose the NATS, because his first 4 rounds count. The way it is worded and the reason the CD puts out the information prior to the NATS is to clarify how it works. If you have your plane weighed and it fails, you are DQ'd, REGARDLESS of when it fails. People say, weigh every airplane before hand, but that still doesn't change the fact that the plane can weigh more or less through the week. The system we have now, makes sure that the planes that get plaques are at least processed once. Everyone knows going in the rules (if you fail, you're out), and I don't know what else you can do, other than weigh every plane, every round, but no one wants to be the guy with that job, so certain assumptions are made. There are ways around the weight rule, just as there are ways around the sound rules. There is NO way to enforce everything every time. Just like if you are driving down the road where the speed limit is 55 and you are doing 73. You may not get caught every time, but at some point, you very well might get caught and that is all you can do. My personal suggestion was that each day, pilots draw straws or something and then the pilots with short straws get weighed after flying. This way, everyone knows they may get weighed, so therefore they better be in compliance. The problem with this is that the pilots in contention could still be over weight, and if they don't draw the right straw they don't get checked, but at least that way, people have a reason to try.

The scales are available all week, and if something changes on your plane, then go back and weigh it, but there is just no way to weigh every plane, every flight.

I believe the reason the 2X2 rule and the weight rules are so strictly enforced (ie, DQ'd) is that they establish the physical size of the plane (I know, glow and electric weigh differently), but I believe that is why they warrant disqualification whereas sound does not.

Arch