How quickly can someone learn to fly? I'm a US-citizen living in Japan, and the costs here are insane ($500 per hour). So I'm thinking to go to the US or Australia for my pilot's license, but how long am I'm going to need to live there? Could it be done in 2-3 months? Less?

This question discusses the cost of learning to fly, and it's mentioned that people often take a year (flying once a week) to see the hours. My question is: reasonably speaking, how quickly can someone get their license?  I'm not actually looking to go from "zero to hero" in record time, I do want to learn the material and enjoy the process. But wanted to have a rough idea of the lower limit so I can plan for the total costs (housing, time away from work).

If you need 40-50 hours of flight time, and you fly 2-3 times a week, what is the typical duration of these instructional flights?  How many hours can someone realistically book in a week (I hear flights get cancelled)?

In reply to the comment about individual ability… I have a high-IQ and have taught myself many things throughout my life. I'm a software engineer with 20+ years experience (created my first commercial software application around age 12), I've authored several top-selling Japanese language books, I taught myself photography and have two Page-One credits in the NYTimes, I learned freediving and 9 months later I won an event in a competition in Japan and ranked 11th nationally, etc. When I put my mind to something I'm focused and disciplined. How much does it really depend on my ability and how much depends on class hours and flight time?
I did it in 17 days - start to finish.

Did flight school in Arizona.  Before I went, I got the PPL study guide, MS Flight Simulator complete with a yoke, pedals, and throttle quadrant... and put in dozens of hours just learning the instrument scan and practicing virtual stuff.  

When I got to the flight school, I already knew the parts of the plane, and what each control did.  I knew about maps and plotting courses.  I understood the physics of flight.  I knew about VORs, VASIs, NDBs... I knew about stalls and corrective procedures - from an academic standpoint.

As such, my under-the-hood training was by-the-numbers.  My seat of the pants stuff was only hampered the first few days by the awful flying conditions of AZ in July heat.  

That said, I aced the written, and did my 3 required solos in two days.  I went to a flight school run by a Gold Seal licensed FAA examiner so I didn't have to depend on the FAA to squeeze me in.  And I passed.  17 days.  

ONLY flew tricycle gear stuff.  No taildraggers.

Other than the serious prep beforehand, there were three main drivers for my success:


I flew at LEAST once a day - many times twice.
I wanted this more than anything I had ever wanted before.  
I only had enough money and vacation accrued to be there for 3 weeks total - no more.  


Best of luck!