> Fun fact: In the some countries (for example the US) you can fly solo passenger ultralight helicopters & airplanes with no training or legal requirements as long as it’s in unregulated airspace. Warning: Doing so likely end up resulting in serious bodily harm, if not death.
To use an IT analogy, those are MVPs - minimally-viable aircraft.
Most ultralights don't have closed wings, so there's no structure as the public would understand it. So spend $20,000 and get the best ultralight available if you go this route. I wouldn't take friends or family up in an ultralight since they can't evaluate the risks.
Beyond that, LSA aircraft only require a drivers licence, and look like real airplanes. But no night or IFR operations are allowed. These were supposed to be cheap, but are priced like real airplanes since buyers demand glass panels, etc.