I really think a shield is needed just to keep the NPCs and collisions from draining your bank. Maybe a transport shield would be enough, slow recharge but not breakable by NPC fighters. I'm a pretty casual player, not much in-game time, but I'm a firm believer in keeping things RP-realistic.
Even so, I'd hate to be saddled with all of those maintenance issues; I'd like to fly something bigger than a GB now and then. Your plan puts those without a lot of time to play at a severe disadvantage, and the people who spend all day in Tau-31 will still have the money to keep their BS running.
"To gain a hundred victories in a hundred battles is not the highest excellence;
to subjugate the enemy's army without doing battle is the highest of excellence."