Nobody has mentioned anything about LOP operations. Of course you need the proper equipment and knowledge to be able to do it safely and correctly. The grievance of this thread is to do with people routinely doing what you should definitely NOT do period. The follow-on from that topic is the disappointment that many of us share. The disappointment that many of our fellow aviators just do not seem to care or be in the slightest bit interested in the intricacies of the trade. Back in the day when I started reading Pelican Perch it got me hook line and sinker.