[OccamzRazor]

It may be extreme but I told my team if I caught any students throwing them then they would be expelled from the team for the 2017 season.

If your team worked hard enough to make it to Einstein and your driver gets hit in the ear by an airplane during F-3 and it costs them that boulder shot for the win do you think the refs will replay the game? Probably not.

It is immensely unprofessional as well as disrespectful to the facility, the volunteers, and the teams that worked to be on that floor. Although it may be fun to do, you will inevitably have people who abuse that fun and stick pennies in nose of the plane and other nasty things to hit people with.

Matter of fact, I saw one kid steal a roll of paper towels from the bathroom (the big heavy brown paper kind) and toss it over the edge. It did not unspool the entire roll before it hit a luckily empty chair several feet below the deck with a loud neck cracking thump. What if that had hit someone? Obviously that is different than tossing a paper plane but I feel like throwing things has only inspired the throwing of more daring objects.

Just enforce it so it does not get out of hand on your individual teams even if you do not take a hard stance on planes. It really is a huge safety concern to be hit in the eye by a plane. As much as they police safety glasses I am astounded this has not been addressed yet. I used to enjoy taking my glasses off to watch matches at Championships but not anymore.

As far as people calling it a "FIRST Tradition"..... please stop. I have never once seen Championships have as many planes as I did in the 2014 and 2015 seasons. 03, 04, 05, and even up to 2011 you did not see hardly any planes being tossed like you do now.

It has gotten out of hand.