Wolfgang,

Private pilots here simply don't do it, because the costs of acquiring
and maintaining an IFR licence are prohibitive.


Uhm, objection! Getting the IR is very expensive. Maintaining it isn't.
Not by a long shot. That's because there is simply no difference in cost
for VFR and IFR flying below 2 tonnes MTOW. If you fly a sensible amount
of hours per year to remain VFR current, you'll be able to do the same
IFR. If, OTOH, you fly ultralights which cannot do IFR, that's another
story.

but with some of the
newer designs you're actually faster and more comfortable than some of
the "real" pilots.


Except, you can't fly IFR which, depending on pilot attitude, might lead
to much riskier "scud running" flying.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)