OK, continuing the "Flying Around Texas" theme, here's an aerial view of my apartment when I first moved to Texas. The following month I moved into my new house, but caught this shot before I moved.
To answer Rob's question: First off, if you've always wanted to fly, then go for it! It's the coolest thing ever. You'll need a minimum of 40 hours before you can test for your certificate (though usually it's more like 60-70 hours).
Once you're licensed, renting an airplane is usually a simple process. The FBO (fixed base operator) who owns the airplane will usually want you to do a quick flight with an instructor to make sure you're okay to rent. This is for insurance purposes. They'll go up with you and just observe. You'll do a few maneuvers and a couple landings, then you're cleared to rent whenever you want from them.
Back in 2001, a Cessna 172 ran around $85-95 an hour for an older plane ($125+ for a new bird). Plane rentals are usually "wet", which means the fuel is included. Also, when you rent an airplane, you pay by the time on the Hobbs meter, which records engine running time. So you don't pay for the airplane while you're sitting in the terminal having the cheeseburger you flew in for. I don't think hourly rates have changed much from back then.
