The benefits of a ULM in France are good and very suited to the weather. The annual maintenance costs in my experience are relatively low at around £500 per year including an inspectors annual fee. A large choice of types with a great short field performance. For the price of a small Robin you can buy a lot of ULM. ULMs are mostly maintenance friendly as most were sold as kits for non professionals. The ULM useful load is of course limited and no flight at night or in IMC. The glass cockpits commonly found in so many ULMs these days are incredible. You don't need expensive STC stuff and can fit it all yourself. These modern navigation units are simple to install and absolutely brilliant. VFR minima is 1500 metres and if you have the skills and are confident to fly in this minima you have a great utility in a ULM. Authority oversite is very light touch in France.
To buy at a comparable cost a C of A aeroplane then your looking at a very old aircraft with a maintenance budget out of your hands. Annual maintenance can easily exceed £3-5,000. You can do very little yourself and so upgrades are always expensive. But most are approved for IMC and night if that's in your hands. Flight throughout the world is always possible and the registration is moveable between counties but beware there are trip hazards.
You could of course buy a permit aircraft, the operation costs are somewhere between a ULM and a C of A aircraft but with in flight limitations similar to a ULM: i.e. no night or IMC, so little benefit there. If your not mechanically minded or don't have the time for maintenance the operating costs can rise substantially. Moving the registration between countries is not always straightford but normally possible without too much pain with a comprehensive paperwork trail.
Last edited by Fl1ingfrog; 13th Oct 2020 at 15:56.