[bmgxyz]

>you can get a sport pilots license in as little as 20 hours of training

This is not enough training to operate safely, in my opinion. Even in VFR conditions, I think it would be negligent for an instructor to turn a 20-hour pilot loose without further oversight. Even if a student pilot has flown solo by that point in their training, their instructor still needs to sign off on all cross-country flights. Entering Class B with 20 hours is out of the question in my view.

I also disagree that the Sport license meaningfully decreases the cost of general aviation. The largest expenses are fuel and aircraft rental fees or maintenance, neither of which are mitigated in the long term by a shorter training period.

It sounds like you are probably more experienced than I am, so maybe I'm wrong.