IATA CN1ICAO C172

Cessna 172

Cessna

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The world's most popular single-engine training aircraft.

First flight

1955

Category

Piston light aircraft

Seating

3 passengers + 1 pilot (4 total)

Range

1,289 km

Engines

Single piston engine; typically Lycoming IO-360 (180 hp) on current production models

Status

In production

The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a four-seat, single-engine, high-wing light aircraft produced by Cessna Aircraft Company, now a subsidiary of Textron Aviation. First introduced in 1956, it quickly became the best-selling aircraft in history, with more than 44,000 units delivered across numerous variants over decades of continuous production. Primarily used for flight training, personal aviation, and recreational flying, the 172 is renowned for its docile handling characteristics, forgiving stall behavior, and mechanical simplicity. Its high-wing configuration provides excellent visibility and stability, making it an ideal platform for student pilots worldwide. Multiple variants have been produced over the years, including the 172R and 172S Skyhawk SP, which feature fuel-injected Lycoming engines and modern avionics options such as the Garmin G1000 glass cockpit. The aircraft remains in active production as of the mid-2020s.

Notable operators

Operated by flight schools and flying clubs worldwide, including ATP Flight School and countless general aviation operators globally; not used by commercial airlines.

Notable facts

›The Cessna 172 holds the world record for the longest flight, set in 1958 by Robert Timm and John Cook at 64 days, 22 hours, 19 minutes, and 5 seconds.
›More than 44,000 Cessna 172s have been produced, making it the best-selling aircraft in history.
›Production began in 1956 and has continued almost uninterrupted, spanning nearly seven decades.
›Current production models can be equipped with the Garmin G1000 NXi glass cockpit avionics suite.
›The aircraft is the primary trainer for many military and civilian flight academies around the world.

Read more on Wikipedia

This profile is provided for general information only. Specifications may be inaccurate or vary by variant/operator — verify with the manufacturer before relying on them.

Encyclopaedia

The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is an American four-seat, single-engine, high wing, fixed-wing aircraft made by the Cessna Aircraft Company. First flown in 1955, more 172s have been built than any other aircraft. It was developed from the Cessna 170, which was first manufactured in 1948, but with tricycle landing gear rather than conventional landing gear. The Skyhawk name was originally used for a trim package, but was later applied to all standard-production 172 aircraft; in the 1980s, the 172 was briefly marketed as the Cutlass. The 172 was also produced under license in France by Reims Aviation. The 172 was developed into the more powerful but less successful Cessna 175; after that aircraft's discontinuation, Cessna and Reims used the 175 type certificate to develop the R172 series, which includes several aircraft marketed as 172 variants.

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