ELTs mandatory? Why? Are they crashproof? I think an ELT wouldn't survive a violent impact on a hillside.
VFR flightplans / flight following; As a helicopter pilot I operate from "off-airfield" locations much of the time (four different ones today) and so don't file written flight plans, even when forced to go IFR. Because of this I am diligent about keeping my operator informed about pax delays etc. The one day I don't turn up and don't make contact by phone or other means, I hope someone will become concerned and sound the alarm. I also make it a priority to get some sort of R/T contact with one agency or another and always state my POB (we had a discussion about this very subject a couple of years ago).