"Roger Long" wrote:
Am I being overly compulsive about this?

Not at all, IMO.

I know that everything the magnetic compass tells you has
to be verified with all other available information

It's the other way around, isn't it? Once you're airborn, the compass
is the only thing you have that directly displays your heading. The HI
is not much use if you have no way to remove its precession.

Are these casual attitudes towards compass accuracy I'm encountering
common?

I don't know, but to me the compass is as important as any other flight
instrument. I definitely want to know which way the nose is pointed.
--
Dan
C172RG at BFM