If we are looking for new competitors the fact that Sportsman allows sliders is reason enough for many to opt out of the event. Oh, I suppose they could just find another excuse but maybe they won't.  I usually enter Sportsman with slider disconnected so I know they are not necessary. It is also easier to teach someone to fly slow and make a good carrier landing (not a deck dive) with a large, moderately powered profile than to teach them to hang flight and hover land. (Not disrespecting that style of flight, just making a point).

Let's make it reeeeeeealy simple and get them "hooked" (pun intentional). This is what I seee NW Carrier doing. Hopefully after getting some experience they will want to take it to the next step which is a stronger engine, sliders, and lotsa practice. Kind of like those who start with the Beginner pattern usually get a more capable model, learn the full pattern and continue to participate.

At my first carrier contest Joe Just tried to convince me to fly sportsman instead of AMA profile. This was 1990 at the NATS. I declined, because I did not consider myself a beginner in anything to do with CL models. No I wasn't competitive for a top spot, but I was 12th in a field of about 27 entries. Had I flown sportsman I may have been first. If you feel you are a beginner in carrier, fly Sportsman
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For the rest of the story......John impressed the team so much with his efforts that he was rewarded the first ever NCS "Rookie of the Year" award. I believe he would have won it had he entered Sportsman instead of AMA Profile.
Joe