Vision-restricting devices are only used in UPT (basic/advanced Pilot training), and only with an Instructor on-board....who is NOT restricted; he's the safety observer.
An F-16 at approach speed is NOT very "nose up." Unlike your plane, it has both leading AND trailing edge devices. The visibility over the nose at approach speed is better than your 182's at cruise.
That bubble sits high for a reason: to see bad guys.
But on an instrument ride, his primary focus would have been inside the jet.