Can somebody remind me why recreational "group A" flying is a good idea,
It depends on how much capital you are prepared to have tied up. A decent microlight like a CTSW will cost more than £50k as do most other machines with similar performance. A good Jodel/Condor will cost about £13k but cost a bit more to operate and give you lots of fun but cannot compare when it comes to range and cruising speed.
You pays your money and you makes your choice.
Apart from that, I could never get used to the horrible sound of a Rotax 912 starting and stopping.