Actually, it is DRAMATICALLY better than nothing. It is more
accurate,
more precise, and more reliable than any NDB and most VOR's.
NDB, yes. VOR, highly questionable.

You're welcome to call it highly questionable, but realize that most
aviation handhelds do offer self-monitoring that is significantly more
robust and sophisticated than VOR (which merely shows the presence of a
signal). VOR signals do some fascinating things when reflections are
an issue.

That's because they lack vacuum
Nonsense. Most of them have backup vacuum instruments and even have
dual
vacuum pumps, which older airplanes lack.

What piston single has backup vacuum and backup electric? I know the
Cirrus line has quite a bit of electrical redundancy, but it must,
being an all-electric airplane. I'm genuinely curious here - I don't
often fly anything built in this century.

In fact, self-flown business flights do not do this routinely,
especially in
single engine piston aircraft.

You know, when I fly IFR in my twin, there sure seem to be a lot of
Bonanzas and Centurions up there with me. Nobody I know cancels a
business trip in a Centurion or Bonanza because he will need to fly the
enroute portion in IMC, and I know quite a few people who use that kind
of airplane for business. That goes out the window if ice and/or
embedded T-storms are a factor, but there's really not much difference
between going on top vs through warm stratus. It's where the bases
are, and what is under them, that matters - especially in a single
engine airplane.

The real issues of IFR flight are widespread low IMC (especially in a
single - in a twin you can shoot an approach on one engine so it's not
so bad), T-storms, and ice. Differentiating between a flight where you
climb into the soup at 1200 ft, climb out at 2500, and fly the enroute
portion on top at 8000 vs one where you climb in at 1200 and fly in
solid soup at 8000 until you break out on the approach is, well,
amateur hour.

Being on top rather than in the soup doesn't actually help you in terms
of navigation, and nobody I know flies IMC in a plane where a single
point failure will take out all the gyros.

Michael