COST COMPARISON Paying for your passions A VISITOR PULLED UP TO MY HANGAR in an S-class Mercedes recently with a few questions- and assumptions-about flying. He asked about the amount of time it took to learn to fly, the risks and regulations involved, and the price of avgas. I answered as best I could, was encouraging, and pointed out a flight school about 400 yards away that would gladly take him for an introductory flight that same sunny day. But the driver of the silver Benz declined, saying that flying was surely too costly for him, and drove off. B Y D AV E H I R S C H M A N I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y A J G A R C E S www.aopa.org/pilot AOPA PILOT | 79http://www.aopa.org/pilot