Wombat,
I think you should look inwards a bit, as if you fly of the handle after just reading a post here, then what do you react like when in a high workload situation(2hrs IMC and then need to divert for some reason?)I think maturity(or growing up as you put it) would be needed to keep a level head and respond in a well calculated way! Also if you take a newby up and spend a good few hours flying on the AI, make sure you remember to tell him about fuel, radio monitoring carb ice, t's and p's and altitude!(Or FREDA for short) What i am saying is a normal instument scan, the basic "T", where you scan from the AI to DI,VSI,ASI etc. Also i thought the hours of straight and level during the PPL syslabus would have given plenty of practice of that particular skill. Add on the instrument appreciation at the end of the sylabus and off you go. I have flown on days where the horizon is no where to be seen doing a X/C over land! If your out there IO540, one advantage of learning DR might possibly be keeping straight and level on heading for long(ish) periods without an auto pilot? The only other advice i would offer to the original poster is, if the donk does quit mid channel, see if you can find a smaller type of boat to land next to(EG:-less than 200' long) as the bigger boats wouldnt be able to stop in time to pick you up. Other than that, just go and enjoy yourself and dont indulge in the local brew if your on a day trip
