To start off, I`m a 45 year old guy, that took up the flute for my Mid Life Crisis (There is a joke I tell here, but not in this forum).
I paid $25 for a Pawnshop Artley, and $70 to make it playable, and thought that "hey I won`t be out too much money, if this doesn`t work out".
I`ve been playing for over a year, already had the flute tuned by a professional (How he tamed that beast, I`ll never know), had an beginning flute instructor, and now I have a Rock/Jazz instructor.
Some time in January I`ll be buying a new flute, but will be test playing some instruments this month.

Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull was one of the performers that got me into the flute, but Rahsaan Roland Kirk is a big influance as well.