[Chewie von Nubbins]

Thanks for the thread Joe. There are literally dozens of threads just like yours and people at your same very age that are doing the same thing. So, you are not alone. Lately, there have been quite a few mid-30's guys wanting to make the move.

As far as buying a plane, there are a couple of people on here that love the idea of buying a plane and living in the hanger with it. But, I personally don't believe that it makes much sense...especially when you are just starting out and getting your ratings. Maybe once you get your private and have around 100 TT, it might make sense then if you are one that changes the brakes and oil in you car and are the over-the-top "handy" type of guy. But, by cutting your teeth and renting through your PPL and Instrument rating, you can learn A LOT about what to look for in choosing to even take the plane out to fly for a lesson.

There was a thread about buying a plane and doing the same thing that you are purposing here, a few weeks ago. Try the search function to track it down. Almost all aspects of buying a plane to train in was definitely covered in that thread. Think it was something like VFR or IFR plane buying. Something like that.

At any rate, best of luck to you man. Keep us informed in your progress and DEFINITELY ask questions. This is the place to do it!