Doug Spencer writes:

With 34 gallons to fill the tanks (up to 1000 miles range), you have
about 440lbs capacity remaining. It is impressive when you calculate
that at ~30mpg it is more fuel efficient to fly than drive many cars and
the CT planes will even run on auto fuel or 100LL.

I've flown a CT 650 statute miles and still had a very good reserve.
The one I flew had a full glass panel (EFIS, engine monitor, GPS), 3
axis autopilot coupled to the panel mounted GPSMap 396 with XM weather
with altitude hold. It really is amazing the amount of innovation that
is occurring due to the deregulation in the light sport category.

You can fly 650 or 1000 miles on a Light Sport license? I thought all
the ones other than Private Pilot were distance-limited (?).

The requirement for a medical certificate for a private pilot for
personal flying is absurd considering all the open space when flying in
most areas.

Absurd is a strong word, but I'm not sure I see the need for a strict
medical certificate for anyone who isn't carrying paying passengers.
Even the medicals for people who are are a bit on the extreme side.

The CT, for instance, has no sharp edges in the cockpit, a ballistic parachute,
great visibility to avoid an accident, seat belts with 2 shoulder
straps, carbon fiber and kevlar construction, and a safety cage
construction that prevents the engine from entering the passenger
compartment during a crash.

There isn't any kind of construction that can prevent the engine from
moving in a crash. These features do not harm, I suppose, and they
may help in a narrow range of survivable crashes, but they won't make
any different in a serious accident, or in a very minor accident.

As with cars, safety devices can create a false sense of security and
skewed priorities. The real objective, after all, is to avoid an
accident, not to try to find ways to survive it.

Why would allowing currently certificated planes to be constructed
to similar consensus standards be any worse?

The market isn't always the ideal party to evaluate safety. People
tend to sacrifice safety for price, often more than they realize.

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