Great discussion point now we established the bottom lines.
I agree - let the discussion begin!
and on a similiar note:
You've taken the wrong context for my use of this term. I mean brave as in operating the wrong side of the AIP recommendation and not brave meaning he was inexperienced, sweating and white knuckled being at 500' on an ILS. Personally I think hand flying an ILS to 200' is great practise, it's below 500' where all the work starts (hence the need for IR levels of skill?).
I dont think I have (taken the wrong context). I dont see that it is brave operating on the wrong side of the recommendations for the reasons I gave earlier. I did a flight recently with a pilot with an IMC who flew regularly. The sector back was in VMC above a shallow cloudbase - which had hung around in the south east for a couple of weeks. The descent was through a couple of thousand feet of IMC becoming visual on the ILS a little below the IMC recommended limits. The approach was flown perfectly. I didnt think the pilot was brave - he was operating well within his personal limits and and quite entitled to have flown the approach. There was no indication with an IR whether or not something had gone wrong during the approach he would have performed any differently.