It's certainly not about saving money for me. I recognise it will probably end up being more. It's more about getting plenty of flying in, within a few weeks, not waiting around for the weather to be OK. I've looked at the admin side of things and realise there is a lot to do, but I'm happy to deal with that.
In short, I'm in exactly the situation you describe in your point 1 at the end of your post. Really want to explore the best locations. Any help gratefully received