ChickenHouse - you have come onto the forum and posted that an entire class of aircraft cannot be used for long distance touring without a backup aircraft. I built my aircraft specifically to do long distance touring and have been doing it and posting about it for most of the last decade. Many other posters on this thread have been doing the same. I have zero interest in criticising your 172 - I am sure it is the panicle of light aircraft design, and does everything you want, but please give some of us some credit for actually owning and operating the aircraft you criticise.
Rod1