"Mxsmanic" wrote

You don't need a rating to know how to fly by instruments. The rating
just
makes it legal. But if you are stuck in IMC and you know instrument
flight
but don't have the rating, I don't think it would be a good idea to throw
up
your hands and give up because you cannot legally use the instruments.

Every year there are instrument rated pilots who get killed in "continued
VFR" accidents. "Knowing how" to fly on instruments is not the same thing
as having experience and maintaining proficiency. There is also a stress
factor involved when confronted with weather that is degrading to IMC, and
stress leads to singular focus or the inability to multi-task, which is a
very bad thing when you're flying, especially if you're on instruments.

BDS