what's the situation with flying clubs in the US. only few people eg. here in germany own private planes. most are organized in 'clubs' (word?). flying can be really cheap then. there are definitely more expensive hobbies. my whole (glider)flying comes at about the same per month as my whole isdn/dsl/flatrate/cellphone stuff. single engine prop is more expensive of course, but you don't need your own plane to get airborne.
in fact, we have a hard time gaining new members, especially kids, because most people think it's a rich man's game, which isn't the case really.