B.P.F. :
Now that you have clarified the Nav light thingie I must agree with all the rest of your thoughts on this subject...
It is all just plain simple logical safety items and practices......
However we must use some thought process also, for instance some years ago I was about to take off from a logging road on the North West side of Vancouver Island in a Navajo that was owned by the logging company that made the logging road / landing strip. Just as I was about to add power to get the show under way the regular company pilot said to me " turn on the landing lights " ....( I was just part timing as a fill in. )
I said what for?
He said for safety.
I said why whould that make it safer?
He said for other airplanes to see............
Hell there was about as much chance of another airplane being within fifty miles of us as the chance of being hit by a meteroite.
So some common sense has to be used.
It is easier to agree with you now that I know you are smart enough to own a Grumman.
Chuck.