Hi!

A lot of airlines do NOT have a simulator evaluation.

I think it's simple: If you can look out the window, and keep it upright, it is VMC. If it's night over water, and you look out the window, it is black. To prevent a crash, you HAVE to fly by instruments.

Flying over a cloud layer...is the cloud layer horizontal to the horizon? Oh, that's right, you can't SEE the horizon flying over a cloud layer. I have seen cloud layers that WERE parallel with the ground, and others that weren't.

I'll go back to my statement. If you are over a cloud layer, and you can look out the window and safely fly, it is Visual. If you HAVE To use your instruments to keep it upright, it is INstrument time.

cliff
NBO
PS-Just flew a night leg, with lots of clouds, everywhere. Could I keep it upright looking out the window? I'm not sure, I couldn't really see much of anything except clouds and lightning. I logged it as instrument time, until we broke out and could clearly see the ground and the airport.