Click over to the "For Safety Sake" column under the General heading and look at the comments regarding handle modifications.  Relates to our three-line handles plus more. 

Interesting...yes
While I agree with your and Pete's decision, I find the nit picking of some of these rules over items that don't have any notable performance gain or any safety concern very frustrating. I can see Paul's point that it worked and passed the safety test but I don't think it is legal. I see that as 2 connection points or connectors. 

I think we should always keep safety in mind first but if there is something that maybe isn't to the exact letter of the rules but can be proven to be safe then I don't see any harm in allowing it.

At our local contest years ago someone showed up with a carrier plane with what I considered to be questionable leadouts. We came to the consensus that if he could prove it was safe and pass the pull test then I would allow it. There was nothing technically wrong with it by the rules but I questioned the quality of it. I checked it before the pull test and again after and nothing changed that I could see so we let it go.

Some other things that I would consider are, what caliber of plane is this, is there a good chance of a record, can the pilot handle the plane, or is it a glorified sport plane with a throttle, is the pilot relatively new to carrier? All of these would come into my mind when making decisions like this. Safety of every one first and then emphasis on getting and keeping participants. The only real records I see being touched anytime soon are the junior/senior electric records and maybe the junior/senior glow profile records which means that 99% of the time we are all just trying to have fun and arguing over rules that for the most part haven't changed since the 70's makes it not fun.

Carrier is not growing and I worry when the day comes when there are no carrier contests to go to.

I think everyone needs to choose their battles wisely and try to keep in mind the big picture of the longevity of the sport.

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