What's worrying me, though, Miserlou, is that my friend appears to agree with you, i.e. all time spent IFR is heads-in. The problem is that he is making approaches in VMC in class G airspace where he needs to 'see and avoid'. In classes A and D (which I concede is the majority of his approaches) he will be separated from VFR traffic, but not in class G. Hence the prevalence of airproxes under those conditions; and the calls from BALPA for yet more CAS as they aren't prepared to make their members look out of the window from time to time...
Tim