Dating a flaky friend - advice?

So I have started seeing an old friend of mine and I can't tell what's going on right now and need advice.
I'll start from the beginning really. I met him and his friends years ago and I usually see them once or twice a year and keep in contact briefly over the internet. We have always lived a slight distance from one another and have never been close friends.
When we first met, he was in a serious relationship but kissed me (i didnt know he was taken at the time and he was having trouble with her at the time). We didnt really make anything of this kiss in all honesty - it wasnt anything.
We kissed again about a year later when he was still taken and having trouble with the same girl but we were under the influence of alcohol and again, it really meant nothing to us at the time and we forgot about it. Both kisses were more of a drunken, seeking comfort thing.
I was then in a committed and serious relationship for years and we never got ourself into any position of closeness or romantic feelings or anything. We were just distant friends.
So now we have come to a point in our life where we are both single at the same time. There was brief and friendly flirting on the internet for a short while before we found ourselves in each others company once more where we inevitably got together.
He lives a slight distance so it's not like we could arrange meeting up all the time to start dating properly. But the distance isnt really an issue and i went to visit him after a couple weeks. We had a great time and it wasnt actually awkward considering.
Now theres the problem. He is trying to find time to visit me but as it is the summer and he is adventurous, he has lots of plans and is finding it hard to find time and hasnt even suggested a date and its been a couple more weeks since I last seen him.
Now before you think 'run a mile, he is just using you as an when needed' - that really isnt the case. He is a friend so he wouldnt do that, and he is known to be really bad at making plans and is incredibly flaky with his best friends, let alone a girl he likes. It can take weeks for a best friend to even get a response off him for something. Plus he genuinely has bad phone signal where he lives and it takes days sometimes for messages to get through - I have even witnessed this being true.
I knew it would be hard to find time to see one another, and tbh I am after something slow paced after coming out of a long relationship - but I dont know what to do for the next step really.
To sum up: He has bad signal, lives a distance and has lots of plans coming up with no free time (all of which are proven and genuine reasons) and he isnt suggesting a specific time when he is finally free - even weeks from now.
I will also add that when we finally got together, he told me he's liked me from the moment he met me all those years ago. I know he also hadnt cheated or kissed anyone else during his time with that ex gf (im his friend so I know this to be true).
And one more mention - he still speaks to me and we have general chit chat and flirting and he still mentions 'owing me a visit' over texts and stuff.
Now I don't know what to do to move this forward or find out what's really going on. It's too soon to be asking what he wants out of us - might come across as being needy or wanting a commitment too soon, when that isnt the case. I just want to know if he only sees this as a bit of fun from time to time, or whether he is interested in seeing me slowly over time in a more romantic way.
I've been used before so I know the difference and know he is being genuine and is still interested in seeing me (for w/e reason he wants to see me) - I just don't know what my next move should be or whether this is going to be worth it.
So maybe a final summary to conclude this long tale: He is flaky, never good at making decisions, a bit of a last minute harry, is interested in me, cant find time for me but still mentions seeing me.
I have tried to give him a nudge into letting me know whats going on and when he may be free but he doesnt actually know the answer to that so there is nothing more I can ask or do for now.
Shall I wait this out and see what happens or just ask and risk coming across all wrong?
Normally I would wait it out and see, it makes the most sense BUT I actually have a couple of guys asking to date me right now, and they are nice guys. I'm not into dating more than one person at a time and I do really like the friend I am seeing so I have said no to the other people. But I feel like I am missing other opportunities whilst being stuck in this limbo.
Help please?