Cessna 172 Unveiled: Your Ultimate Guide to Soaring Skies and High-Flying Adventures!

Flying a plane is one of the most exhilarating experiences one can have. And if you’re thinking about starting your journey as a pilot, there’s a good chance that your first flight will be in a Cessna 172. This iconic aircraft has been a popular choice for flight training for decades, and for good reason.

 

In this blog, we’ll explore some of the most important things you need to know about the Cessna 172 before taking to the skies. So, whether you’re a seasoned pilot or just starting out, read on to learn more about this remarkable plane.

 

The exhaust system is a complex component of the Cessna 172. If you need to replace or repair it, you require an experienced welder knowledgeable of the OEM specifications. Knisley Welding Aircraft Exhaust System provides professional exhaust parts and services for the Cessna 172.. Contact us at (800) 522-6990 or sales@knisleyexhaust.com for more information.

 

Related article: History of Cessna

 

Cessna Skyhawk: “Engineered for Training. Built for Adventure.”

 

The Cessna 172 Skyhawk, which is manufactured by Cessna Aircraft, is a reliable and popular aircraft. It is commonly used by flight schools due to its fuel efficiency, affordability, and ease of use. In fact, it has earned a reputation for being a steady workhorse and one of the most dependable aircraft available.

 

The Cessna 172 made headlines during the Cold War when a German teenager named Mathias Rust flew it from Helsinki to Moscow without permission, successfully evading Soviet air defenses and landing in Red Square.

 

Given all these, on top of its longevity and storied history, many consider the Cessna 172 to be the king of light aircraft. Today, this highly utilitarian plane fills a number of roles even beyond instruction and training.  It also exists in various civil and military models.

The Cessna 172 is so ubiquitous that you can even pick one up today for just under $30,000.

 

Does Cessna Still Make the 172?

 

Since its first flight in the mid-1950s, over 44,000 Cessna 172 Skyhawks have been manufactured, making it the most-produced aircraft in the world that is still in production today.

 

The Skyhawk is a fixed-wing aircraft with a single-engine and high-wing, which can accommodate up to four people. Its competitors in the industry include the Beechcraft Musketeer, Grumman AA-5, Piper Cherokee, Diamond DA40, and Cirrus SR20. However, the Musketeer and AA-5 series are no longer produced today.

 

How Much Is a Cessna 172 Today?

 

A brand-new Skyhawk might range from $369,000 to $438,000, depending on what sort of additional options you’d want to take home with you. (Like the Garmin G1000 NXi avionics package, the digital autopilot package, satellite-based weather graphics and comms package, interior configuration for training crews, and so forth)

 

A 2012 model Cessna 172R cost about $274,900. This particular model had some nice standard inclusions, as well as a good selection of additional customization options—enhanced vision and ADS-B (automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast) upgradable traffic, along with new styling and lighting options.

 

The introductory base price of the Cessna 172 was $8,995 in the past. When adjusted for inflation, the equivalent amount would be around $105,000 in 2024.

 

What Engine Is in a Cessna 172?

 

The original 172 used the six-cylinder, 145-horsepower Continental O-300 engine. These air-cooled piston engines were built by Teledyne Continental Motors as early as 1947, with various iterations in production as of 2004. 

 

Newer Cessna 172s—particularly, the 172R and the 172S, which rolled out of the assembly lines in the late ‘90s—made use of different engines. 

• The 172R had a 120kW (160hp) Textron Lycoming IO-360-L2A fuel-injected flat four-piston engine driving a two-blade fixed-pitch McCauley propeller.
• Meanwhile, the 172S is fitted with a 180 hp (134 kW) fuel-injected Superior Air Parts Vantage engine.

 

The O-300 was developed from the C-145 engine (which came from a C-125). The O-300 has pretty much the same weight, dimension, bore, stroke, compression ratio, displacement, and output power of the earlier engine of the C-145, only more modernized while retaining its edge of an additional 20 hp (15kW) over the C-125. 

 

The time-between-overhaul (TBO) figures for the O-300 is about 1800 hours. 

 

Other than the Cessna 172, the O-300 engine is also used with Cessna’s Mescalero, Skylark aircraft, and the Maule M-4.

 

The Continental O-300 engine being installed in a Cessna 172. Photo by Ahunt.

 

How Far Can a Cessna 172 Fly?

 

A Cessna 172 Skyhawk has a range of about 800 miles on a full tank of fuel; that’s about the same distance from New York City to Detroit (in Michigan), Columbus (in Ohio), or Windsor (in Ontario, Canada).

 

In comparison, a 747 jumbo jet has a range of more than 6,000 miles, with a top speed of about 600 mph (versus the 172’s max velocity of 150 mph).

 

Interestingly, Robert Timm and John Cook set an endurance record in a Cessna 172, staying airborne for an incredible 64 days, 22 hours, 19 minutes, and 5 seconds. The highly-publicized flight clocked in 1,558 hours of continuous flight, taking off at McCarran Airfield in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 4, 1958, and landed back on the same airfield on February 7, 1959.

 

How Safe Is a Cessna 172?

 

Impressively, the Cessna 172 has a fairly solid track record when it comes to safety. As a top choice for many trainers and aspiring pilots, the Cessna 172 is relatively easy to fly and land.

 

Statistically, the Cessna 172 has a fatal accident rate of .56 per 100,000 hours, which is half the industry average of 1.2-1.4.

 

How Much Weight Can a Cessna 172 Carry?

 

A Cessna 172S has a maximum gross weight capacity of 2,550 pounds. Exactly how much passenger weight you can carry aboard will depend on:

• The empty weight of your Cessna 172, taking into account additional installed equipment; and
• How much fuel you’ll be carrying.

 

Tim Morgan, a commercial pilot, used a specific example: if your Cessna 172S has an empty weight of 1,685 pounds, and you have a full tank of fuel (about 37 gallons, which weighs some 222 pounds), you then have 643 pounds left for passengers and bags. That’s usually enough weight for three adults (or one adult and three kids).

A Final Word About the Cessna 172

 

In an interview with Popular Mechanics, F-35 pilot Justin Lee shares what he almost always gives out as advice for aspiring aviators looking to pilot the planet’s most advanced fighters: the path to flying fighters often starts behind the single-prop of a 172.

 

“The advice I give to people who want to become a fighter pilot is to build time in a Cessna,” Lee says. “It’ll let you know if you have the aptitude and desire to pursue a career in aviation.”

 

The Cessna 172 is a real classic, a solid brand, and an aircraft that has helped shape the lives (and careers) of hundreds of thousands of pilots.

 

With newly available technology, so too have variants of the Cessna 172 emerged to incorporate these into their design. Without a doubt, the Cessna 172 will continue to be popular among aviators (both young and old) in the years to come.

Knisley Welding Aircraft Exhaust System specializes in aircraft exhaust systems for various Cessna aircraft models. If you need assistance with your Cessna’s exhaust system, feel free to reach out to us with any questions you may have. Call us at (800) 522-6990 to schedule an exhaust repair appointment, or send us an email at sales@knisleyexhaust.com.