<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by pynchonesque:
Realistically, I'd expect to pay $100-$150/hour for the plane ("wet," which means including fuel) and maybe $30-$40/hour for the instructor/pilot (of course, the pilot becomes more expensive as the plane becomes larger and more comfortable). Use the roundtrip time to calculate the cost. The cost can be reasonable, but is much higher than the prices quoted above. I don't know where you can hire a pilot for $15/hr.</font>
It would be worth the poster's time to make some calls and see what they can get at the area in question. Yes, depending on the type of plane rented, it could be $150/hour for a plane.
Call and flight school and ask for an instructor to do a short flight for you -- you'll find the pilot rate much more reasonable than you suspect.