catseye,
Yes, in fact I have done lots of everything, thank you! More of some than others, and way too much of way too much.
I think next time you see the cat that gave you the eye, take the other one. That way you would see that I did not say that the crew is not important (it is a team, and a good crewman is better than a good beer, almost) and nowhere do I say that a crewman should not have a means to cut the cable (he/she must, and within easy reach).
But nowhere will you find me saying that my helicopter can be inadvertantly tethered to the earth while I have no say in the matter. That is even if the Lord himself was my winchman! And HE invented CRM.
I do think that no one should just defeat normal design features because of poor design/maintenance or wive's tales. If you can't stand electric emergency cutters, get ready for sad times, mate. In a modern helo, the FADEC controls your engine, GPS finds your victim, Fly By Wire controls your helicopter, and electrons have your b**ls.