How to learn to fly
It made me
The coolest! 
"Now a student pilot, working on my Private. Intend to continue to Instrument afterwards."
How I did it: Just an hour or two logged each week at first, whenever I could fit it in. Lucky enough to find a brilliant and patient instructor.
I did it Part 61 with an old C172- learned at my own pace.
Lessons & tips:
It's all about finding the right CFI. Shop around - there's no shortage of CFI's nor places to rent an airplane. If you two don't communicate well, you have the wrong CFI.
Join AOPA. Don't wait, do it now.
Immersion. Sign up on FAA's safety website now and go to the [usually free] nighttime safety seminars. It's like free education, and it's a chance to meet other pilots and learn from them. Hang out at your local airport.
Read online about every type of aircraft, old and new- you'll eventually see them all up there and it'll be very useful to know which one's which when Tower says "You're number three after the Mooney".
You're not gonna get it done in 40 hours, and you wouldn't want to - it's not safe. Budget for more like 60-100 hours, and don't rush yourself- if you take longer to get licensed than someone else, then you're that much more experienced by the time it happens.
After PP/ASEL, get the Instrument rating - it'll make you a MUCH safer/better pilot, even when flying VFR.
NEVER be shy about just "going around" if it doesn't look peachy. In fact, practice your go-arounds, a lot.
Resources: Get a scanner radio and listen to the Pilot/ATC chatter. Go to JoePilot and buy the charts and study them. Write down a script of everything said and heard on the comm. radio during a typical flight, then close your eyes and play it back, the whole flight, in your head, so that the radio chatter will flow more naturally when you need to do it.
Jepessen's 100-hour-maintenance video is excellent. Buy it. The King Schools' Private Pilot video series is a great study help for the written test- watch it slowly, pausing frequently, take LOTS of notes. Study your notes.
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