Jay,

Well, I have just obtained my IR last summer, my experience is limited
but already overwhelmingly positive. Here's why:

1. VFR conditions prevail roughly 95% of the time, even here in the
rough-and-tumble Midwest.

Numbers are lower here in northern Europe, but they are still way above
50 percent. However, that's only partly relevant. The reason: As a
pilot, you don't care about the average. You care about a specific day -
the one day you wanna go. Someone better at math than myself will tell
you exactly what that does to the chances of having VFR weather if you
select not any one day out of 365 but "next Sunday". It changes the odds
mightily! That's not all.

2. VFR cross country flying can be safely done, with the right
attitude, even in marginal equipment like most of us fly.

Well, sure. my experience with the IR however is that you go with so
much more confidence, with so much less fretting about the weather. A
typical IFR flight may be 10 percent in clouds. in the morning, there
are some wisps hanging low in the vicinity. VFR, I'd have to fret about
whether there will come more, whether fog moves in. IFR, i couldn't care
less. And so goes the flight. It's just so much more relaxing from the
first planning stages.

3. Obtaining the instrument rating is an excellent exercise, and makes
you a much more precise (and thus proficient) pilot, but unless you're
moving up to heavier metal, it won't help you much.

That's just plain wrong. It helps a lot.

4. This explains why just half of all pilots have pursued the
instrument rating, and why a very small percentage of instrument rated
pilots are current or proficient.

And the numbers for that can be found where?

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)