Dear Rules Committee,
I know the subject of rules complexity comes up after every race, usually by me. Until this year I thought I was the only ignorant dunderhead who felt this way, but if you haven't read appollosmith's post at FlightSim on this, you really should do so... To echo what he said, I know you guys work very hard at this during the “off season”, and it is appreciated. Like every set of rules, it grows as situations arise which require a new rule. For example, “You canna no more fly at latitudes greater than 80 degrees north or south!” (hehehe). But that's simple. You read it once and you get it. You don't have to study it to understand it. You could have a hundred such statements and it wouldn't make the rules document, as a whole, any more difficult to understand. The problem, for me, comes when you start “mixing and matching” rules to construct entirely new rules which, in order to understand them, you must first understand the “root component rules” that make up the new rule, which require looking them up in other places in the rules document(s) and/or the FAQ(s). This aspect of the rules could be “reformed”.
To illustrate, I will restrict my rant (this year) to the jets.
This year, jets are allowed. Yeah! We love jets. So, what jets are allowed? We have four [4] (yes four) different lists:
1. White List Jets: A large list of jets.
2. Sponsored Jets: Same list as the White List, but adds the Boeing 757, Lockheed F-80, and North American F-86.
3. Regional/Continental Jets: A subset of the White List Jets, to include only those with two engines, and the F-80 and F-86.
4. Cold Warrior Jets: A list of early generation military jets, including the F-80 and the F-86.
When can I fly these jets?
Please be seated...
Any Sponsored Jet can be flown on wild card legs. This includes the 757, the F-80 and the F-86, which are not on the White List. Speaking of the The F-80 and F-86, they can also be flown on normal legs, but are classified as a subset of the “thoroughbreds”, and have slightly different restrictions than the “normal thoroughbreds”, and are further restricted to specific flight simulation models. Continental Jet Legs can be flown using a Jet listed in the Regional/Continental List, which is subset of the White List Jets, to include only those with two or less engines, but not the F-86 or the F-80. Cold War Jets can be flown only as a “Special Leg”, unless you're flying the Section 8 F-86 or the Virtavia F-80, in which case the “Special Leg” can also count as a normal leg or a Team Flight. But the “Cold War Jets” include other models of the F-80 and F-86, so if you're flying one of those, or any other “Cold War” jet, then that leg could only count as a “Cold War Special Leg”. You have to see the FAQ, not the White List, to find out exactly which specific simulation models are eligible as “Cold War Jets”.
Why not something like:
Put all the authorized planes, including jets, all of them, on the White List, period. One list, please...
If we want to restrict jets to wild card legs and continental jet legs, or whatever other special type legs, fine. But, in legs where jets are allowed, any jet on the white list is eligible. If you don't want me to fly a three engine jet, then don't put it on the white list! I'm not likely to pick the F-86 for a 2000 mile wild card leg, and if I do, that's my problem. What possible purpose could have been in mind when you restricted continental jet legs to twin engine jets? This is a good example of a “gotcha” rule, IMO...
If team and formation flights are part of the race, why can't any leg be a team flight or a formation flight? Who cares? Can the team combine a team flight with a wild card leg? Sure, knock yourself out. What about formation flights? Why not? The point is, the team can make the combination if they wish, when they wish. They don't have to scour the rules trying to figure out what combination of leg types, aircraft type/model/sim model are 1) allowed, and/or 2) required, and/or 3) specifically disallowed.
Ok, I'm done. It was a fun race this year!
I know the subject of rules complexity comes up after every race, usually by me. Until this year I thought I was the only ignorant dunderhead who felt this way, but if you haven't read appollosmith's post at FlightSim on this, you really should do so... To echo what he said, I know you guys work very hard at this during the “off season”, and it is appreciated. Like every set of rules, it grows as situations arise which require a new rule. For example, “You canna no more fly at latitudes greater than 80 degrees north or south!” (hehehe). But that's simple. You read it once and you get it. You don't have to study it to understand it. You could have a hundred such statements and it wouldn't make the rules document, as a whole, any more difficult to understand. The problem, for me, comes when you start “mixing and matching” rules to construct entirely new rules which, in order to understand them, you must first understand the “root component rules” that make up the new rule, which require looking them up in other places in the rules document(s) and/or the FAQ(s). This aspect of the rules could be “reformed”.
To illustrate, I will restrict my rant (this year) to the jets.
This year, jets are allowed. Yeah! We love jets. So, what jets are allowed? We have four [4] (yes four) different lists:
1. White List Jets: A large list of jets.
2. Sponsored Jets: Same list as the White List, but adds the Boeing 757, Lockheed F-80, and North American F-86.
3. Regional/Continental Jets: A subset of the White List Jets, to include only those with two engines, and the F-80 and F-86.
4. Cold Warrior Jets: A list of early generation military jets, including the F-80 and the F-86.
When can I fly these jets?
Please be seated...
Any Sponsored Jet can be flown on wild card legs. This includes the 757, the F-80 and the F-86, which are not on the White List. Speaking of the The F-80 and F-86, they can also be flown on normal legs, but are classified as a subset of the “thoroughbreds”, and have slightly different restrictions than the “normal thoroughbreds”, and are further restricted to specific flight simulation models. Continental Jet Legs can be flown using a Jet listed in the Regional/Continental List, which is subset of the White List Jets, to include only those with two or less engines, but not the F-86 or the F-80. Cold War Jets can be flown only as a “Special Leg”, unless you're flying the Section 8 F-86 or the Virtavia F-80, in which case the “Special Leg” can also count as a normal leg or a Team Flight. But the “Cold War Jets” include other models of the F-80 and F-86, so if you're flying one of those, or any other “Cold War” jet, then that leg could only count as a “Cold War Special Leg”. You have to see the FAQ, not the White List, to find out exactly which specific simulation models are eligible as “Cold War Jets”.
Why not something like:
Put all the authorized planes, including jets, all of them, on the White List, period. One list, please...
If we want to restrict jets to wild card legs and continental jet legs, or whatever other special type legs, fine. But, in legs where jets are allowed, any jet on the white list is eligible. If you don't want me to fly a three engine jet, then don't put it on the white list! I'm not likely to pick the F-86 for a 2000 mile wild card leg, and if I do, that's my problem. What possible purpose could have been in mind when you restricted continental jet legs to twin engine jets? This is a good example of a “gotcha” rule, IMO...
If team and formation flights are part of the race, why can't any leg be a team flight or a formation flight? Who cares? Can the team combine a team flight with a wild card leg? Sure, knock yourself out. What about formation flights? Why not? The point is, the team can make the combination if they wish, when they wish. They don't have to scour the rules trying to figure out what combination of leg types, aircraft type/model/sim model are 1) allowed, and/or 2) required, and/or 3) specifically disallowed.
Ok, I'm done. It was a fun race this year!
