I can vouch that none of them and least of all the test pilots would ever advocate flying IMC without the autopilot engaged in rough weather.
Fine if your aircraft has an autopilot. I'm not advocating
not using it at all. It's just that the vast majority of your normal club light aircraft don't have autopilots. I've flown a largish selection of different ones and have only flown one that has. And that didn't work when I wanted it to...I'm also pretty sure that your experienced friends would be quite capable and confident of flying without the autopilot in rough weather
if they had to.
If solo longish distance flying in changeable weather is your forte then stack the odds in your favour. It makes a lot of sense.
I wouldn't disagree with that at all. I just find it a little worrying that some posters who (I assume) have at least an IR(R) would find it uncomfortable flying in IMC without an autopilot. It's not the use of it that worries me, it's the lack of confidence they feel if they couldn't use it. I find that quite disturbing, and that is not an affront to their abilities, I'm sure they are capable pilots. It's the mindset that concerns me.
Edit: In the same way that I'm concerned about two pilots I know who will turn back, or even not take off if their Skydemon drops out. I use Skydemon all of the time unless pottering locally, however it's just a minor inconvenience if it stops operating as advertised. Five years ago we all flew perfectly well without it...