"Viperdoc" wrote in message snip
Electrical failure over the middle of Lake Michigan in IMC is not an
appealing proposition.


It's nice to have two, isn't it? Last fall our right alternator croaked
just 2 hours into a 7 hour night cross country trip to FL. Thankfully it
was severe clear and after diagnosing the problem we limited our electrical
load and made the trip down and back without a hitch.

A couple years ago I had the vacuum pump of a R182 give up the ghost over
the middle of LM in IMC. I, like you, had VMC below and calmly requested a
clearance lower while the poor controller kept asking if we were declaring
an emergency. (well, if you don't give me lower I am). My wife grabbed a
couple post-it notes, we covered the AI & HI and I asked for vectors to the
nearest airport, he responded, and we descended into VMC. We cancelled IFR
and flew the rest of the way home VFR without any problems.

Glad you have at least "part" of one of your babies home.

Jim