Use Of AutoPilot in IMC

[hobbit1983]

Within the last month I've flown 3 flights I would class as IMC flights. Bit of background first-

Got my IMCR in June of this year. Since then have managed to get in some practice approaches/holds etc about once a month, often with another IMCR/IR holder as safety pilot, with screens etc. These went well, so much so that I'd feel confident flying them in real-life (i.e. with a proper cloudbase) but NOT down to bare minimums - my personal minima at the moment would be 1000ft.

However I've not yet flown one "in anger" and I don't intend to just yet, unless I had to. On the flights I'm talking about I carried plates for the relevant approaches, but planned to fly a visual approach as permitted by conditions - the plates were in case I got caught out.

Since I got the rating, I've been trying to 'build up' the level of my IMC flights - first just doing 'on-top' stuff, with good conditions above and below the layer, then moving onto 'in the clag most of the time', and finally (not there yet) doing 'in the clag' & 'real-life approaches'.

The flights I were talking about within the last month have been the second type - good visual conditions at destination & departure, but in between there's enough cloud at height for me to fly in between layers or in cloud the entire way. As I said, I do carry plates & have practiced approaches with a safety pilot & screens just in case it does go tits-up.

On those flights, especially on the most recent, I would estimate I was in cloud about 75-60% of the time. I was handflying it, using DR, with VOR/DME position fixing as a backup (no GPS). This seems to work well - on the earlier flights this month, I was 'unsure' twice in total, but on the most recent, I was never unsure, and overall confident in my nav. It could be improved, but then I guess that's always true.

I always obtained a RIS where possible, and talked to the relevant authorites as much as practible. (This paid off; I got a transit straight through Luton's zone without asking for it!). I don't have a GPS in the club aircraft (none installed) - or an autopilot. The aircraft does have an autopilot, but it's labelled U/S, as is the case with all the club a/c as far as I know.

There seems to be two schools of thought responding to what I posted yesterday; but now there's a (lot) more detail, I would appreciate further comment.