However, I don't believe flying an airplane by feel/seat of pants is a good idea
then
Read the POH, fly the arplane (ANY airplane!) by the numbers and you'll be fine.
You are of course quite right, but I would suggest that you are not flying - you are merely operating an aerial conveyance to a set of prescribed parameters and IF anything were to unbalance that equilibrium, you would be in a whole heap of hurt.
The best ever single lesson I learnt was how to tell that the aeroplane is out of balance just by what it is telling your bum - seat of the pants, flying. The balance ball is handy but I can generally react to an out of balance situation by my subconscious translating the message from my ass and redirecting it to my feet before my eyes notice that the balance ball is out.
The second lesson is that IF THE AIRCRAFT IS ALWAYS FLOWN IN BALANCE IT CAN NOT SPIN.
And the third lesson, far easier in a stick aeroplane than a yolk type but the same principle applies:- the aeroplane will only stall with the stick in two positions regardless of the speed. So in effect, the stick gives you the same information as an AoA indicator but in a less graphic form.
Lister - I made good my promise of last night and have offered to take R spinning after a three axis lecture!
Stik