If the outside conditions are playing ball don`t forget the most important instrument - the window...

Become a VFR pilot ie: if IMC get out of it if you can. Ask for help, someone pretty close by might be VMC.

Formating: a bit of thread drift. Fleet Air Arm (subsequently SAAF) pilot on loan to US navy. US navy pilot loses electrics (no gyro`s as no battery) between two layers of cloud and asks for help in the form of another a/c to formate on to descend. Said Fleet Air Arm pilot slides in next to the Navy pilot inverted.:}