" So I wonder if the insistence on "prop fully fine" before it's really needed stems from the needs of the training environment "
Where else can we give credit for this proceedure?
Somehow flight training gets these teaching methods set in concrete with the missguided beliefe that teaching people to operate these machines has to be done by only teaching a proceedure that ensures that no matter how slow their thinking process is they have it set up for a brain lock.
( There is a long sentence )
That teaching method does not allow for moving into more complex equipment were different power handling proceedures are required.
My problem is I'm from the generation that only acted after thinking...
..so for propellor pitch control we were taught ....prop pitch as required....
Saves having to relearn every time we fly something different.