Lots of useful advice on here, and a very sensible question to ask in the first place.

Another way to do your research is find your local small airport and hang out there, check out the local PFA (Popular Flying Association), have a poke around flying organisation's websites, such as AOPA (Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association) and EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association - consider coming to the largest GA airshow in the world, AirVenture).

Once you have completed your PPL, the doors open to lots of other opportunities, tailwheel rating, aerobatics course, seaplane rating, helicopter rating, glider flying, the list is endless. Basically, whatever your budget and interest can accommodate.

Like Whirly, I gave it a go with no fixed idea of the long term. I now fly for a living, have been for many years, love it and have blown most of my earnings on a couple of different aeroplanes for myself.

Equally you may find that acheiving the PPL is sufficient, and something else will catch your interest. Whatever happens after your PPL is up to you, so long as you have fun getting there. Good luck :ok:

MyData,
I've only done it once. I was flying back from Swansea to Shobdon in showery conditions, and suddenly there was this completely circular rainbow right in front of me. And then I flew through it, honestly! It was quite wonderful.

On flying touring with a basic PPL....
One of the things I like is the unexpectedness of it all. Because it's so weather dependent, you never know where you'll end up, and you can't book anything in advance. This meant that on our last trip to France we got stuck in Manston due to thunderstorms, then couldn't cross to Le Touquet till late next day because of fog. So there we were at Le Touquet on a friday night in mid-summer with no hotel booked. And we, who usually stay in cheapish hotels, ended up in the Novotel, on the beach, with one wall that was all window overlooking the sea. Expensive, but quite wonderful. The next night we were in Dinard, and booked our usual 2-star hotel. It turned out to be a tiny place, tucked away in a little alley, way up in the town. As we climbed up to the top floor, Paul said, "Ah well, no sea view tonight". But we had one - right across the rooftops of the whole town to the sea beyond. Different from Le Touquet, and equally nice. The next day we ran away from a cold front heading east by crossing from Cherbourg to Goodwood - commonsense had said previously that we shouldn't do the long crossing in an old aircraft, but the front to the east and bright sunshine in Cherbourg suggested a quick change of plan. We ended up at some air rally at Goodwood, and then a fantastically luxurious (and cheap) B & B nearly.

It doesn't sound that exciting. And somehow, none of it would have been the same if we'd planned it in advance. But I just love the fact that you never know what will happen next. In this predictable world, it's maybe the last great adventure.