I was wondering what the average cost for getting flying lessons is.  I've heard that it is somewhere between 4000 and 5000 dollars but that's only from an airport in my area.  I've also read that Microsoft Flight Simulator can help you a lot, but how much of a difference does it really make?  How realistic is it compared to ...

Hey,   I'm a freshman in high school and I wanted to know what my chances were of being able to gain admissions to USAFA.  I want to be a fighter pilot and then eventually an astronaut.  My most recent average was 97.25 or 3.89.  My highest average this year is a 98.75 or 3.95.  I just joined Civil Air Patrol