haven't flown in years though because it is extremely expensive to rent. If funds ever become available, I hope to purchase my own plane (experimental...probably a kitfox 7) as owning it yourself and being able to do the maintenance and AI on your own experimental seems to be the only remotely affordable way to enjoy aviation. GA aircraft are $$ to purchase and $$$ to maintain. For the performance you get from a 172 you can buy/build a plane that will run circles around it assuming you have the time. I started out in 172's a few weeks before 9/11....needless to say that put the brakes on my flight instruction for a little while. I had a heck of a time scheduling lessons with my instructor as he had another job and between that, his apathy, college, bad weather, and the planes always down for maintenance I just about gave up. I finally had enough and went to another flight school and things were my more professional there. I started training again on a Socata Tampico (POS) which they eventually sold and finished training with the Diamond Eclipse (katana) which was a great plane to fly and it was actually younger than I was
. If I had the insight when I graduated HS I would have gone the aviation route as growing up I always knew I wanted to be a pilot. Alas I went to college and got a Bachelor degree like everyone tells you to do but I regret it every time I board a plane to fly some where.