Flying enroute illegally in IMC you mean in an aircraft restricted to DAY VFR ONLY flight?
Yes of course. Why do you think there is such a market for brand new and obviously IFR equipped permit types?
I see your point about changing to some VLA type if they could fly IFR but I think you would end up having a rather close look at the build quality compared to your Cessna, or my TB20, and walk away. The two don't compare. Most VLA types are built to much lower standards. They should be structurally (G) as strong but the general build standard is much lower. Look at details like control linkages... No wonder you get silly problems like tails falling off.
Serious VFR touring as part of flying for fun does not require an IMCR
Only if you are willing to fly in IMC illegally. It is virtually impossible to do significant touring without some encounter with cloud - unless one is a permanently retired old chap with all the time in the world.
To brand all VFR touring pilots as bandits who all fly illegal IFR legs is crap
Don't know where you get "all" from. Historically (say 2002) about 20% of PPLs got an IMCR. Now it is more like 7%. Taking the same % to permit pilots does not yield "all", but enough to support the drift.
I have an uneasy feeling that we are being manipulated into a VFR box for private flying.
Without a doubt this is true, but not by EASA. EASA is a very recent kid on the FCL block. The manipulation is being done by the traditional GA representative bodies, 99% of whose members are VFR only and most would be happy to shaft IFR GA capability for everybody else if it saved them £20 off their next medical, or enabled them to get it with a BP of 180/110
I can't blame them; this kind of thing needs a higher level authority which can say "we need IFR capability in GA" as a principle - just as EASA has always been saying. GA is its own worst enemy in this respect. I don't know why I bang on about this on behalf of others ... I have my CPL/IR and that should do me for long enough.
Back to the IMCR decline, I do live south of Watford but I don't see any difference in the junk that is available for rental today compared to when I started training in 2000.
I walked out of one school (which happened to have an AOC for charter) due to bare wires hanging around under the cowling. When I complained, saying this could cause a short & a fire, the instructor (an fATPL) said "that goes to the landing light; just don't turn on the landing light and you will be fine".
In short, I don't see what
physical factor could have caused the 3x decline. I reckon the slagging off of the IMCR (GASCO. GASIL, CAA safety seminars a few years back, various instructors,
often on pilot forums) is a prime candidate.