schrieb:
----
45 hours w/Katana DV20 incl. CFI
about 95 hours ground school
test preparation
some training materials (not really much, IMHO)
membership (similar to AOPA)
landing fees for about 150 landings
totals EUR 6,666.00
according to xe.net (Live rates at 2007.12.30 17:28:04 UTC):
USD 9,827.73

This is a minimum though.

in the US this might be true.

I have not come across anybody who has
managed a PPL in 45 hours here in the US. I am sure there are some but
its not usual.

see, this is one of the differences. :-)
It took me about 5 or 6 months here in Europe besides a full time job.

Most take between 60 and 70 hrs (that's 50% more than
45 hrs). Bad weather, cancellations etc will quickly add more hours
and in many cases you want to spend extra hours training in a stiff
crosswind for eg.
If the debate is between whether the US or Europe is cheaper for
learning to fly, its a no contest really.

the discussion is whether it's cheaper for Europeans to go to the US for
learning to fly. Right now (IMHO) we're about $5K in the US plus
airfare, housing, time, etc. compared to about $10K in Europe.

Anybody who can afford a
cheap used car in the US can afford to get a PPL in the US.

so a cheap used car sells for about $5K over there?

#m