I like to watch those two guys fly (Jason more than Chip), but not nearly as much as I like to watch some of the other 3D pilots. The rules at TOC have always discouraged tail touching. Who is to say that every single thing that happened at TOC is what the new 3D pilots should aim for? We like to watch those videos but we also have our own opinions about what is safe and what is not safe. I have touched my tail lots of times (smaller models b/c I cant afford a 40%) and in those times I have striped one servo and crushed one rudder. The model flew out just fine. I wont say that one day the model wont crash due to damage caused by a tail touch but if the pilot is good enough to do this then he is good enough to know when to ground his model before it gets out of hand. You would be surprised at the beating a model can take before it gets out of control. I have landed once with no horizontal or elevators and another time with no horizontal, elevators, vert., or rudder (landing means in the runway, upright) and I am by no means ready to go head to head with the big dogs.

Lets forget what all of the rules are and get down to facts. How many cases involve an out of control airplane smashing into the pit area due to a failure after a tail touch? Plus, would you rather run from a model going 65mph or one going 0-5 mph?? I think we can all come to the conclusion that there are far more dangerous things out there than a tail touch. COMBAT, a Newbie doing touch and goes, Helicopters, Turbines, Super fast prop jobs, Warbirds that are way too heavy to fly. I am by NO MEANS saying that they should add more rules to these things but I am saying that they have no right to single out 3D flight when there are more important issues at hand.

I would also like to know how many of the rule makers can fly 3D? And I dont mean hovering for 10 sec. at 100' high. How many of them can get on the deck and put on a show utilizing 3D flight?