On the other hand, plenty of pilots seem to take a perfectly good AFCS, with attitude hold, and put it in SAS mode with the force trim turned off when flying VFR
As did I during periods of maneuvering, auto functions & trim punched off on downwind for landing. In Ara's case that would have been the mode I would have been flying, with the automatics set to take over should they be required. We were a VMC operation that did plenty of scud running, and dare I say plenty of far less than legal low level IMC at 300 - 500', as
Gulli can attest.