I think point 1 (and by extension point 2) is a little overstated. Many, many people wouldn't set foot in a small aircraft, be it a Cessna or this. This idea is for those individuals that would easily obtain (or use) a PPL if it wasn't such a daunting financial commitment to fly.
It actually is quite challenging to design an aircraft that is efficient, capable (as in 4+ people) and cheap to operate.
The Pipistrel Panthera and the Icon A5 are about as close as it comes, but both have serious shortcomings. Panthera is fricken expensive to buy and unproven, and A5 is that and not very capable. The average Cessna and/or Piper cub is still the easiest way to get into the sky in something useful for more than a lap around the airport.
I'd love to see something that isn't going to cost the price of a house to buy and the average salary to fly before we look to make everyone a pilot, because that challenge alone is a long, long way off.
I have one of the cheapest practical family airplanes, and it's so far from affordable on the average salary that the gulf is insurmountable, IMO. And mine is 1/5 or less the likely acquisition cost of this one. That difference in capital cost will take 2000 hours of operation (more than 20 years for most private pilots) to make up in nominal dollars.
If people today can't afford a Skylane (or even Warrior or Skyhawk), they will be able to afford this even less.
Putting the "everyman" in the air is better done with a partnership or club owning 60s/70s/80s metal airplanes, IMO, and that's not even that achievable in days of $6 avgas and $75/hour "dry rental" (everything other than gas).
It actually is quite challenging to design an aircraft that is efficient, capable (as in 4+ people) and cheap to operate.
The Pipistrel Panthera and the Icon A5 are about as close as it comes, but both have serious shortcomings. Panthera is fricken expensive to buy and unproven, and A5 is that and not very capable. The average Cessna and/or Piper cub is still the easiest way to get into the sky in something useful for more than a lap around the airport.
I'd love to see something that isn't going to cost the price of a house to buy and the average salary to fly before we look to make everyone a pilot, because that challenge alone is a long, long way off.