It appears this thread is now moot, as the AMA has issued its 2003 Safety Code. Rule #9, under the RC section, states that under no conidtions may a pilot, or anyone else, touch a plane while in flight. The original proposal, linked to in the initial post, never said anything about banning hovering, quite the opposite! It was only a topic of discussion regarding proximity to spectators, and being touched while in flight. We now have the new rule provide an out to AMA on coverage for those of you who hover, and retrieve your aircraft from that hover.

No, I don't hover, don't really want to try, at least not at this point. I'm still content with taking my plane home in two pieces...wing and fuselage assemblies.