Piston light aircraft · Cessna (Textron Aviation)
Cessna 172 Skyhawk C172
The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a four-seat, single-engine, high-wing airplane and the most produced aircraft in history. Generations of pilots have learned to fly in one.
Cessna 172s airborne over the US now
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of all airborne aircraftplus — on the ground
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Cessna 172s in the air over the last 24 hours
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Specifications
- ICAO code
- C172
- First flight
- 1955
- Typical cruise
- 120 kt / 138 mph
- Service ceiling
- 14,000 ft
- Range
- 640 nm / 736 mi
- Capacity
- 4 seats
- Length
- 8.3 m / 27 ft
- Wingspan
- 11 m / 36 ft
Engines: 1 x Lycoming four-cylinder piston engine. Family: Cessna single-engine. Figures are typical published values, rounded; real performance depends on variant, weight and conditions.
What it does in US skies
Thousands of 172s fly every day in the US for flight training, sightseeing and short personal trips. On a live map they cluster around flight schools, often circling near airports doing practice landings.
Main US operators: Flight schools, Flying clubs, Private owners, Civil Air Patrol.
How to recognize a Cessna 172
- High wing with a single strut on each side
- Fixed tricycle landing gear
- Single propeller engine and a swept-back tail fin
- Smaller and lighter-looking than the similar Cessna 182
How it looks on a flight tracker
Usually flies at 1,500 to 8,000 feet at 90 to 120 knots. Tracks often show loops around an airport, and callsigns are usually N-numbers.
History
The Cessna 172 first flew in June 1955 and entered production in 1956. More than 45,000 have been built, and it remains in production.
Where Cessna 172s are right now
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What is the ICAO code for the Cessna 172 Skyhawk?
The ICAO aircraft type designator for the Cessna 172 Skyhawk is C172. Flight trackers and flight plans use this four-character code.
How fast does the Cessna 172 fly?
The Cessna 172 Skyhawk typically cruises at about 120 knots true airspeed (about 138 mph). Ground speed on a tracker varies with the wind.
How high can the Cessna 172 fly?
Its service ceiling is about 14,000 ft.