Hi Mike,
All your points are fair. Flying these little wings is defiantly not for everybody, but for switched on active pilots who like the opportunities the extra speed can provide then they are o.k. This is the reason why U.K. Airsports the importer of the Bobcat will only sell them through dealers who can fly them and asses prospective pilots before they buy.
http://www.ukairsports.com/catalog/prod ... cts_id=596
Everybody involved in U.K. speed flying (including the BHPA) is keen to try and conduct this new side of our sport in as safe and constructive way as possible. It is easy to view them as dangerous as they can be if not flown well and the consequences of bad piloting do not bare thinking about, but many of the general public (and insurance industry) view our normal flying as dangerous, its all down to how educated your point of view is really.
As for stability, apart form being very responsive these little wings are not to hard to fly, with surprisingly slow stall speeds. They are very collapse resistant and have very quick recovery times if such things occur. This is due to there high wing loading and the shorter line keeping you much more in tough with the wing. It should be noted the special Bobcat harness comes with a reserve bridal.
Probably the most important thing for a new pilot to do is fly the wings gently at first on friendly sites with lots of room for landings e.t.c. As you get more into them you will be able, just like normal flying to widen your horizons and try flying in more demanding conditions at more demanding sites.
Hope this helps,
Gordie