Please go back and read the comments made by PpruneRadar:
http://www.pprune.org/private-flying...ml#post4978211
Powered aircraft can also operate in cloud without a transponder
But be careful what you wish for, since maybe EASA will ask the UK to go down the route of many other countries and remove the right to the freedoms to fly in Class G in IMC. More Controlled Airspace and more rules would be inevitable, i.e IMC flights would be operating under IFR and therefore an ATC clearance would be required
http://www.pprune.org/private-flying...ml#post4978839
I dont think that is a practice widely used and would be frowned upon by most IMCR/IR pilots.
I do not know many IMCR/IR pilots who would oppose compulsory Transponders for powered aircraft in IMC.
Maybe not, but until it's mandated, there are people who can and do operate without transponders in IMC. Maybe not the majority but they do exist.
As a Heavy Iron pilot you also know that many destinations are OCAS and with NO RAS even for A320 737s etc
Just to be 100% clear, there is no RAS for any traffic in the UK. It's a Traffic Service or a Deconfliction Service, and has been for a few months.
The bottom line - the current situation is that flying in clouds always has the potential for finding someone in there you are not expecting. It might be a glider, it could be power.
I await the next stage of the Flarm / PCAS cross-over trial with interest.