As for not letting smokers near an airplane: bollocks.
When I started flying............. I would occasionally be working in the Nav. seat at the back of the flight deck behind two PIPE smoking pilots, it was IFR INSIDE the aircraft.
Fortunately I could lift the curtains that blocked the nav desk light for night flying, and wear an oxygen mask. Made it a bit difficult to use the sextant tho' so occasionally I had to take a deep breath for each 2 minute star shot.
I renewed my Class 1 at the ripe old age of 75 ( not for commercial pax carrying ops. I might add ) but then, for no reason other than age, the CAA insisted that I take a treadmill ECG. The Cardio. expressed concern that I might be driving home, and 2 weeks later I was the proud possessor of 2 arterial stents.
What p***es me off tho' is that for maybe a full 6 months before presenting myself for a Class 1 renewal again, I could have legally flown a 747 - from a medical point of view - with the undiagnosed problem that ultimately resulted in my two stents, but a problem was detected, fixed, and now I'm physically better than I was in that preceeding 6 months, but they won't even allow me a Class 2.
I've beaten the buggers tho', they can't get their sticky fingers on my microlight ticket, that's a different protocol.
Mustn't grumble, they probably saved my life, but what is of real concern is that only because I wanted to continue flying was my problem even detected - how many of those cars hurtling towards you on the other side of the road, at a closing speed in excess of 120 mph, are being driven by guys who have NEVER seen a doctor ?