IFR or VFR?
Setting the scene:
3500 -RA SCT004 BKN006 OVC008
You want to depart in a fixed wing from an airfield with the above weather. You elect to depart VFR and immediately enter IMC on departure, climb to your desired altitude which is a common altitude flown in this congested airspace of the UK where further climb is limited by the TMA. As you have departed VFR, you are receiving no form of radar service even though good coverage and service is provided by two separate radar units located nearby.
Questions posed:
1: Is this departure legal under the VFR rules and do you consider these rules are clear, and understood fully by pilots or are they unduly confusing?
2: If it is considered legal, do you consider it sensible to depart in these conditions, fly IMC with no form of radar cover, and no way of avoiding other aircraft which may be in your path?
3: If the rules are understood and it is not considered sensible, what reasons would a pilot choose for not departing IFR? Is there a worry about route charges or something similar?
Discuss!
(edited for typos)