VFE,
SOPs are used in almost every organisation. They may not be called SOPs but they are.
An example of an every day SOP is the time you are required to turn up for work and how many days holiday you get and what time lunch is and so on.............all SOPs.
SOPs are required to keep things standard. Very confusing for students when in the absence of SOPs everyone does their own thing.
Usually ends up with the student trying to operate in different ways with different instructors.
Individual pilots operating outside any organisation should have their own SOPs because it makes it easier to make critical decisions under pressure.
Having to come up with a procedure or minimum and at the same time establish if the flight can proceed under pressure from friends can often result in the procedure being less safe than what one would write down in the comfort and relaxing atmosphere of one's home.
Regards,
DFC