According to The Internet, it costs about $10,000 total to get a pilot's license. That means I can spend $10,000 on building a flight simulator rig instead, right?

There’s ongoing costs, too. You can’t just /keep/ a pilot’s license. You have to use it. If you don’t fly a minimum number of hours a year, you lose it. So you’ll have to rent planes. Lots of pilots sell “at cost” trips to travelers to fund their hours.

Yeah that's why I'm thinking this simulator idea isn't so far fetched 😉

Doesn’t help you get to San Diego any faster though.