Ok, but then we resign ourselves to the fact that we will be picking
gliders out of the trees about once every two years, and mourning the
loss of one or two pilots per decade. That doesn't seem to bother you.

OK I see you're resorting to personal insults now John. That's what happens
sometimes when a persons arguement fails on it's own merits.

Truth be known I'm a conservative racing pilot that takes few chances.
You've flown with me in Uvalde and as I remember you took more chances than
I did. You are absolutely wrong re the finish gate and have no data to
prove me otherwise. I have not ever felt the finish gate to be a threat.
It sometimes begins to sound like you all want protection from yourselves
i.e. you MUST fly dangerously if not prevented from doing so by the rules.

I'm all for educating and training pilots to be aware of the threats they
might encounter at ALL levels not just the finish gate. I am NOT for a
subgroup of people wishing to basically install rubber baby buggy bumpers
into all of the racing rules. It's a dead horse beating.

Casey