Hi Hal-
First I want to thank you for your part in inspiring me to get into R/C modeling with your spiffy designs and DMECO kits (won't say how long I've owed you that...). Proceeds from caddying (@ $5 per 18 hole 2- bagger) soon had one in my eager hands; I got to admire it in the box for a long time before I could afford a Controlaire Mule kit radio to control it with!
What the rationale was behind the rule against autonomous model control has changed with each telling, along with the direction of finger pointing as to who was responsible for it. Whatever and whomever, the potential adverse consequences were obviously not given due consideration, as you have pointed out. IMHO, Brown's musing "...that removing it from the safety code is the better option" seems like the right way to go. Not that I don't think the option you presented would be a very big step in the right direction. It would remove an arbitrary impediment to the aerial photography enthusiasts and the engineering student competitions, but still stands in the way of those dreamers that might aspire to challenge Maynard Hill's record(s). I'd like to see it kept in your back pocket as a compromise proposal if the EC doesn't do away with the rule altogether.

Abel