It would be nice if all planes had starters, but some just do not. The Tiger Moth was hand propped for me last month, though I would have done it, had I not been the "compotent person" at the controls. I was trained to hand prop decades ago, and have started many. I avoid doing it, when there is a safer alternative, but sometimes, it's the only way.
I cannot imagine certifying a plane now, which required hand strting, and when I consider the huge liability associated with it, I'm surprised the the regulations are silent on hand starting aircraft which are equipped with a starter.
I hand propped my buddy's 150 for him when he had a flat battery. "mags off?"... "mags off!". I swing, it starts. I look at him with a look of disgust through the arc of the prop. He holds up the keys for me to see.
In the most extreme case, I manned the controls while a friend hand propped his 185 amphibian, with a 3 bladed prop. The IO 520 can be a difficult engine to start at the best of times, but to his credit, he got it started, and I kept it running long enough for him to get in.
Great care, after training...... (sorry about the fellow in San Diego)