GOM VFR  

is that something that actually happened to you? you went IIMC and had to hand fly an ILS while low on fuel in real life?

Does nap of the Earth, pilotage through the chin bubble count? monsoon rains so hard one couldn't see 100 yards and the mission required I be at Rach Gia that day count? I Guess not- Rach Gia din't have no ILS.

But, otherwise, No, I've always been 'lucky' and very, very careful. I've diverted many miles, almost a hundred on occasion, around weather and spent days at places where I could not proceed VFR. Later, I was in the IFR program and IFR rated aircraft, so generally, no problem- two pilot hand flying is no thing, preferred that to the 1980's 412 'autopilot'... "BellPilot"?

But- Outbound (VFR AS255F1) from Intracoastal City, the bushes at the beach were creating furrows in a very thin ground fog. Offshore looked fine, with a little fog forming at the bases.

Then VFR on top of a low cloud deck offshore and from deep south Eugene Island and Brownsville to well north of my fuel range on the beach. Heard IFR ships switching to ATC for approaches everywhere and offshore birds landing at first available. No structures visible offshore, so I turned around and started looking for options, airports with VFR and/or breaks in the fog. Just Southeast of Pecan Island, a saw pavement, so I started an approach. As I got below the cloud deck I observed the contract customer's Pecan Island pumping station, so I went there instead. Spent the rest of the day there at the pumping station office. Fog deck lifted to 3-400 feet on the beach just at sunset, so I jumped the bird the 10-15 miles and spent the rest of the hitch (4 days) doing nothing.