I've flown with several pilots that either thought they could continue a flight without instruments, "I know I can. I've done it". To a lad that answered one of my off-the-cuff training days with the glass of water answer. A friend, a jet transport skipper, suggested I make a horizon myself - "using pure pendulosity." I was very, very surprised, but said nothing. He too had flown with John Dawdy in Fox November.
My friend, Col Carl Crane (very worth a Google) devoted a chunk of his life promoting the use of gyro instruments. Some agreed, saying, yes, they work . . . until you go into cloud.
Carl was test flying blind landing kit he'd patented almost every day, until he died suddenly - at my age now. Gulp.