Well Mr "Nuts" I have to agree with you completely. As stated previously I have the 10 requisite hours of IR helmet training and at a cost of 3400 Can $. ( I know it was a while ago) But over the years here are a few situations that have served me very, very well over the years and they regard PDM and common sense. Please note that I am a VFR day pilot only albeit "bush" trained". Still don't know you IFR guys do it.
1. My instuctor told me to go out and get things ready. I knew the weather was marginal just by looking out the window but I only just recently flew solo so being impressionable and willing to please I said OK.
I fired up and when lifting off I noticed the MP was redline and asked "what the hell". He laughed, we landed and called it a day. He showed me the iced up blades and we had a serious de-brief on weather.
2. Instructor and I were trying to go from A-B but with serious low level fog, yet clear sky's above. I aborted, yet said instructor with OTT clearance took us over yonder with a very large increase in altitude. He did ask me what I would have done in case of emergency at a lower altitude. It struck home. But he did show me options.
3. Later on, about 85 hrs or so, and completed my "ride" the weather was SVFR. I called it but the instructor took me out anyways. It was snowing heavy but we had 3/4 mile and clear of cloud, with no icing. After a while I grew tired and scared and he showed me one simple thing...slow down, find a spot, land. He told me to shut down. We did. He asked me if I wanted to fly anymore in this. I said not really. He told me to remember that if I ended up in that same mind set when he wasn't there. Problem solved.
4. I planned a Navigation ride and when I was filling the machine up the instructor told me to go a little light on fuel as he was getting low in the bowser and he didn't want to suck off the bottom. Regardless of my well researched plans that said I couldn't make the trip I said "OK". 10 miles short of home I found myself getting really low on fuel. I brought it up and the instructor kept at me with a number of questions that insinuated I should keep going, or at least to me it did anyways. We ended up landing in a farmers field where he had a hidden stash of fuel for just this type of lesson. He told me on landing that when the light is on your done...no matter what. He missed a trip to teach me that.
These are lesson's I learned that have always stuck with me. And it occurs to me that regardless of the amount of info and knowledge that I have accrued, it only apply's if I APPLY IT. PDM is where it's at, period, regardless of country and regs. Know your limits first, not the job. That way you stay alive one day longer to prove me full of s@#T!
I find regulating authorities very articulate in showing what went wrong, and how it did go wrong, but very long winded in demonstrating how it CAN go wrong. With regards to VFR licenses, lose the Instrument Training and put the trainees in a crappy weather position and I bet in 5 years you will see a difference.