SKYYACHT
At the risk of sounding a pedant, I though that one could not fly VFR on top. To be operating under Visual Flight Rules, you must be operating under VFR minima, which effectively means in sight of the ground, clear of cloud etc etc. As far as I am aware, if you use the IMC rating to climb through cloud, then once above the tops, you are then operating VMC on top, rather than VFR on top.
No, that's a contradiction. "VMC" are by definition meteorological conditions in which you could operate VFR. VFR does not require sight of the surface, though if you are not in sight of the surface the cloud clearance and vis minima can be greater.
PPLs without an IMC rating may not operate out of sight of the surface, even if the conditions are VMC.
englishal
[Flying an ILS to 200 ft] So long as you don't go full scale deflection, and so long as you don't bust your DH, you'll be fine
Well yes and no. The problem is that if you are heavy handed with corrections, you can find yourself in a very difficult position as you go full scale deflection. In particular, less experienced pilots have been known to see that the bar is drifting down in the latter stages of the approach, put in a fistful of nose down elevator, and end up going full scale below the glideslope with a startling rate of descent. If you add that to a little human nature in not wanting to throw away an approach that can be salvage, and I think that a little practice flying the needles to 200 ft is a good idea before trying it in IMC.
excrab
Yes, a good point. With a PEC of 50 ft, it may say 250 ft on the altimeter, but you're still flying the approach down to 200 ft height. You're just applying a calibration correction to the instrument you use to measure it.