More Cessna 172's have been built than any other aircraft. Since production started in 1956, more than 43,000 have rolled off the line, and they continue to do so.
What accounts for the 172's popularity? It's a serendipitous combination of performance and utility that's hard to beat. Though very few pilots would list the Skyhawk as their dream aircraft, it's the one that many end up with. For decades it was the step up plane after learning to fly in a Cessna 150. After a 150, the Skyhawk did seem to have loads of room, power, and speed. Confronted with quickly escalating costs of buying and flying larger and faster airplanes, many decided that the 172 suited their needs just fine.
It's hard to imagine, but the when the 172 was introduced, it seemed a very modern aircraft. Remember, its immediate predecessor was the tail dragging 170, and planes before that were mostly made of wood and fabric. To climb into the relatively quiet all metal 172 was a big jump up in comfort and utility. Easier to land, cheaper to maintain, 10 knots faster and two more seats than your average tail dragger were big selling points, as the numbers show.
The Skyhawk's airframe has proven remarkably long lived. Even though the basic technology is over half a century old, when you put modern avionics such as the Garmin G1000 in the instrument panel it's hard too tell the difference from much newer designs.
The Skyhawk is also helped by docile handling characteristics. Generally regarded as easy to land, it has no bad habits to speak of.
Though aircraft have never been cheap, the 172 benefits from being at the low end of the market for what have long been considered modern aircraft. It's also the first of what could be considered an aircraft useful for going somewhere. Anything less would have to be considered more for recreation than transportation.
The purchase price is only the entry fee to owning an aircraft. As many owners regretfully discover, it's really an opportunity to spend much more on gas, insurance, maintenance, inspections, engine replacement funds, hangers, and many other things that consume money. The Skyhawk is fortunate in that having a simple design and low fuel requirements (under 10 gallons/hour), some of these expenses are reduced.
Though the Skyhawk is still being produced, it does have more competition than it did in its heyday. New composite designs are faster and shinier, if not significantly more capable. But with a very deep pool of used aircraft, the Cessna 172 Skyhawk is sure to be a popular airplane for many years to come.
More information and specs on the Cessna 172 from How it Flies
What accounts for the 172's popularity? It's a serendipitous combination of performance and utility that's hard to beat. Though very few pilots would list the Skyhawk as their dream aircraft, it's the one that many end up with. For decades it was the step up plane after learning to fly in a Cessna 150. After a 150, the Skyhawk did seem to have loads of room, power, and speed. Confronted with quickly escalating costs of buying and flying larger and faster airplanes, many decided that the 172 suited their needs just fine.
It's hard to imagine, but the when the 172 was introduced, it seemed a very modern aircraft. Remember, its immediate predecessor was the tail dragging 170, and planes before that were mostly made of wood and fabric. To climb into the relatively quiet all metal 172 was a big jump up in comfort and utility. Easier to land, cheaper to maintain, 10 knots faster and two more seats than your average tail dragger were big selling points, as the numbers show.
The Skyhawk's airframe has proven remarkably long lived. Even though the basic technology is over half a century old, when you put modern avionics such as the Garmin G1000 in the instrument panel it's hard too tell the difference from much newer designs.
The Skyhawk is also helped by docile handling characteristics. Generally regarded as easy to land, it has no bad habits to speak of.
Though aircraft have never been cheap, the 172 benefits from being at the low end of the market for what have long been considered modern aircraft. It's also the first of what could be considered an aircraft useful for going somewhere. Anything less would have to be considered more for recreation than transportation.
The purchase price is only the entry fee to owning an aircraft. As many owners regretfully discover, it's really an opportunity to spend much more on gas, insurance, maintenance, inspections, engine replacement funds, hangers, and many other things that consume money. The Skyhawk is fortunate in that having a simple design and low fuel requirements (under 10 gallons/hour), some of these expenses are reduced.
Though the Skyhawk is still being produced, it does have more competition than it did in its heyday. New composite designs are faster and shinier, if not significantly more capable. But with a very deep pool of used aircraft, the Cessna 172 Skyhawk is sure to be a popular airplane for many years to come.
More information and specs on the Cessna 172 from How it Flies
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