At the University, I tried to get students out (generally after they'd completed their Private Certificate) in marginal weather at least once on a low level VFRish flight. This was northern Minnesota, so no mountains or passes nearby, but a mile and a half visibility provides an "interesting" perspective that many if not most budding pilots typically don't get in primary training.
We'd take off from the uncontrolled field (G airspace to 699 agl), and boogie up to the NE. No towers that direction. The entire program was predicated on being able to pop up IFR if need be. Never had to, but that was part of the plan.
I'd get them ten or fifteen miles out, have them do some maneuvering, all low level, then change the page on the PFD and MFD, to as best I could, simulate a failure. The look on their face was always interesting, to say the least. And, predictably, they would do nothing....nada. Just stare at the instruments, which were dead. After an appropriate interval to see if they'd figure it out, I'd gently suggest they take a look at the whiskey compass..... Point was, to START doing something, deliberately, not hastily. "Okay, there's a river down there. What direction is the water flowing?". What river might that be? If we were to follow that river, where would it take us if we go upstream? How about downstream?" Etc.
Point was to get them to start THINKING about their predicament. Many if not most people will vapor lock initially. So, the idea was to get them to start thinking, and develop a logical plan. Then execute the plan. This was done in the local area, so most of them knew the area fairly well, but I pointed out that even in strange country, there are features you can use.....even if you can only see a mile or so.
Initially, "management" was a little concerned that I was training them to fly in lousy weather. But, every one of these kids I did this with noted at the conclusion of the flight that it was the scariest thing they'd done in a plane, and they really didn't want to go there inadvertently on their own. That's when I pointed out that there ARE mountains, towers, etc out there in places, and scud running can get ugly fast.
My theory was that pilots talk about flying in lousy weather, but most don't ever really see what the belly of the beast looks like. Even doing it in flat country gives them perspective so they can use their imagination as to what that looks like in the mountains. And, this wasn't a map reading excercise....I never bothered with a chart. Keeping the airplane right side up and headed straight is enough of a challenge initially.
I sure wish someone had introduced me to crap weather before I got myself into it and had to figure it out by my self.
But, as noted it can be hard to get this done in most flight training environments. All our planes were IFR capable, and popping up was easy and safe in that environment if need be.
And, mountains, passes, etc can be an entirely different world. There you are truly dancing with the Devil....... I hope I never get myself in one of those deals again.
It does come down to decision making. And, that was what I was trying to instill in students: Start developing decisions, GOOD decisions soon, then execute those decisions after they're carefully thought out. Then, SLOW IT DOWN. As in pull the power back a bit, lower some flaps, configure the airplane to turn if you need to. Etc.
MTV