[synclastica_86]

Blake's prices are pretty accurate, but keep in mind that it doesn't include instructor and fuel surcharge. As far as plane rental is concerned, you will only be charged when the engine is running, so don't worry when the instructor spends extra time explaining stuff on the ground. My instructor is pretty friendly and allows me to take extra passengers during training. It's actually better for learning since you need to deal with the extra weight - it does make a difference.

I'm halfway through the training but had to stop for a while since a moved to an area in which flying is no longer convenient. I will start flying again at the end of this year. I looked into getting my own aircraft to train on, but was not really impressed with the cost. It's rather expensive to maintain and store. Fractional ownership (as advised my instructor) can be troublesome unless you personally know the other parties beforehand. Renting on the other hand is way more flexible. You can get training on different aircraft to see what flight characteristic you prefer and get your hands on newer technologies. The flight school I flew at, for example, offered a trainer with a glass cockpit. If you want to keep training, you might move to multi-engine, then you will take a hit as you single engine depreciates. IMO renting seems like a better option for now, at least until you settle down on a type of aircraft you really love.