Autopilot in IMC

[Say again s l o w l y]

Some very good points here.

In my last company we had a mixed fleet, some a/c had autopilots fitted but most didn't (or were U/S).
When you found yourself with a machine with a serviceable one, it was a cause for celebration. Hand flying isn't difficult, but for long straight and level sectors it became very tiring and boring. Having a good autopilot for us helped free up the non-handling pilot whilst the PF could monitor what the box of tricks was up to.

I personally don't like flying single crew I/R without a serviceable "George." If you understand it's limitations and how to use it properly, then they can be life savers, especially when the workload gets high. Your situational awareness is always helped by its use, since your brain has some extra capacity (though if you are experienced, the difference can be negligable compared to someone starting out).

I always like to start handflying again before the approach phase, so that I could get myself "back into it" before the most critical phase, though we obviously sometimes used it for the approach aswell, though generally not when conditions were bumpy as most old or basic autopilots tend to give up just when you need them!

If you find yourself starting to lose it in IMC, an AP can be a great help, just make sure you know when it will engage and what makes it trip out and where the disconnect button is incase it does something unexpected. (Usually a pilot problem rather than an AP problem though!)