Let me start by saying this idea has been circulating around the forums for a while now, and I'd like to add my own idea. So sit back, relax, and let's go.

I think that, as some people have pointed out, that a constant poins-for-downloads may be unfair to many people, allowing Golds to rack up points like even faster than before, while not really helping Bronzes and No-Colors. So, here's what I propose:

Bronze & No-Color:

1 point per download. Straight up.

Silver:

1 point per 10 downloads. Plane must be upvoted at least once to earn download points.

Platinum & Gold:

1 point per 100 downloads. Plane must be upvoted at least 10 times to earn download points.

Some more things to note:
- The devs would need to add a check to see if you are downloading your own planes. 2 ways I can think of, neither particularly good: requiring an account for download, or just leaving it open and investigating anyone Bronze or No-Color who has earned more than 90% (or some percentage) of their points from download.
- I see the "unfairness" presented by my numbering for the Gold and Platinum players. I personally think, however, anyone who has reached gold should try to make planes that get upvotes. This is generally true in practice.

I hope you'll upvote this, share it and comment with ideas if you like it. Thanks for your time!