SandL
Phil Harwood is old school too and I'd guess many of the new breed of instructors are from his stable.
I fly an MT03. The handbook does not go into great detail about take-off but what it does say is correct and adequate. How much power you use will depend on the runway surface and a/c loading and the manual does not cover every eventuality - but that's the same with heli and fixed wing permit types.
I have had a pre-rotator gearbox fail. I did not, and would not, fly in such a situation - so fling starting would not be an option, for me anyway. My concern would be less about getting the rotor turning and more about what might happen to the components that were broken!
Not sure what point you are making with the AAIB report? The student didn't do what he was trained to do. So what? That's nothing to do with gyros. I can quote a fixed wind report where the student failed to raise flaps on a go-round and spun in. People make mistakes and accidents happen.
Mark