SINGLE PLT ABOARD AC690B HAS COMPLETE GYRO FAILURE ENROUTE IFR. DIVERTS IN IMC TO RNO FLYING BASIC INSTRUMENTS.

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ENRTE TO PICK UP A PATIENT. AROUND LOVELOCK; NV (LOL); I STARTED HAVING THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR FLAG SHOW ITSELF. IT WOULD THEN RETRACT. THE A/I APPEARED TO READ CORRECTLY COMPARED TO THE COPLT'S AND STANDBY ATTITUDE INDICATOR. I WAS ON TOP OF A SOLID OVCST. THIS CONTINUED FOR SEVERAL MINS AND THEN THE HSI HDG FLAG STARTED DOING THE SAME THING. I SWITCHED INVERTERS AND CHKED FOR CIRCUIT BREAKERS OUT. NO CHANGE AND PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. I ELECTED TO RETURN TO O43 AS IT WAS GOOD VMC WHEN I HAD LEFT; BUT IT HAS NO WX RPTING. I TOLD ZOA OF MY PROBS AND STARTED TOWARDS O43. THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR FINALLY HAD A HARD FAILURE AND I COVERED IT UP (STICKY PADS ARE GREAT!). THE HSI HDG FLAG WOULD STAY RETRACTED FOR A WHILE AND APPEARED CORRECT COMPARED TO THE COPLT'S DIRECTIONAL GYRO AND MAGNETIC COMPASS. NEARING O43; I WAS STILL ON TOP OF AN OVCST. CTR WAS VECTORING ME AROUND FOR OTHER TFC SO I HAD A GOOD LOOK AT THE OVCST. I FOUND A LARGE HOLE AND SAW THE ARPT. CLRED FOR THE VISUAL BUT I LOST THE ARPT AND TOLD CTR I WANTED TO GO TO RNO. DIRECT TO RENO AND DSND; NOW INTO IMC. EVERYTHING IS GOING OK ALBEIT A LOT OF CONCENTRATION AND HARD WORK. AFTER A WHILE; I ASK FOR PRIORITY SO I DON'T KEEP GETTING VECTORED. SHORTLY AFTER MUSTANG VOR (FMG); I BREAK OUT INTO VMC AND SEE RNO. LNDG IS UNEVENTFUL. THE FIRST TIME IN 20 YRS I HAVE ACTUALLY HAD TO FLY PARTIAL PANEL IN IMC. A HANDFUL AFTER YRS OF GLASS AND LOTS OF REDUNDANCY IN INSTS; CREW AND SYS. THERE IS A REASON FOR ALL THAT REDUNDANCY AND SINGLE PLT IFR WITH PARTIAL PANEL IS TRULY A HIGH WORKLOAD I DON'T WANT TO REPEAT ANY TIME SOON! TRAINING; TRAINING AND PRACTICE TRULY MAKE THE DIFFERENCE! THE INST HAD A HARD FAILURE AND WAS REPLACED LATER THAT DAY. IT HAD BEEN OVERHAULED 3 TIMES BEFORE.