Judah wrote:

For me, the cost would still be justifiable, because I fly myself to many
customer meetings and installation jobs. But if I were just going to get my
pilot's license for recreational flying, it might be much tougher to justify
unless I had that kinda cash to drop on a recreational activity.

I consider it a necessity for me. The fact that I may make a few bucks part
time as a CFI and forestry pilot not withstanding, I absolutely HATE driving.
I also despise the treatment aggravation factor trying to take an ordinary
commercial airline flight somewhere. Therefore, I have no choice (in order
to maintain my sanity) but to fly places I want to go.

My family lives all over the place, and places I want to visit are all over
the map so we would either have to drive or fly. For me its a no brainer.

Personally, I feel safer flying pretty much anywhere than driving. But that's
just me. (I lived in Atlanta for 25 years so maybe that explains it.)