Originally Posted by Std Deviation

That of course begs the IFR rating question, would it be better to shell out the $140 an hour for the G-1000 Cessna 172, or the $85 on the 1976 M model complete with the ADF, to get glass upfront to ease the transition to a flying career.

I'm biased as I got the IFR in a beat up N model 172 (that caught fire a few years later and was a total insurance loss...). My first glass was at a regional. I'm just trying to give some credible guidance to a career changer. Well aside from, "have you considered law school?"