Interesting thread this. I for one think that the PPL syllabus is lacking, notably in the practice of off-airfield landings. Speaking to one new PPL not so long ago he'd actually passed a PPL without EVER having landed off an airfield; confined areas were done onto a small HLS on-airfield and sloping ground with one skid on the edge of a taxiway and one off.
Now on the one hand he's being told "don't push on - land on", while on the other hand he's planned his whole flight well with 'don't go below' MSAs, he's sat air law exams and knows all about the possible legal consequences of breaking the 500' rule...
I consider myself quite lucky that during PPL training we did make a precautionary landing in a field. Going through the whole experience of talking to London Info, doing a recce, setting up an approach while there's still time etc took all the stress out of it; I'll be far far less hesitant about doing it in future. So much easier on the heart to be sitting in a pub grouching about the weather than being up there trying to carry on through it
Foggles training in the PPL - I understand why some people are against it, yet to borrow someone's analogy if I was dumb or unlucky enough to get myself IIMC in a 22 I'd rather have that one empty chamber in the Smith and Wesson than not. I'm under no illusions about how serious it is. After a PPL and CPL (what's that? 15 hours foggles?) I thought I had this 'instrument flying' lark pretty nailed. The first IR flight in the sim, where everything went white at 300', I suddenly realised my mistake.
Maybe that would be a useful addition to a PPL. IMC in a decent sim, turbulence turned on and force trim turned off.
To answer the original question, no I've never been IMC in a 22 or any other non-IFR helicopter. One night flight in a 22 with misty stuff forming below and a strong headwind slowing our progress back to the airfield I was uncomfortable, uncomfortable enough to have made me more thorough about weather planning now, and less hesitant about making 'turn back' decisions faster in the future.
I guess you live and learn. I'm determined to keep doing both!