Cessna Skyhawk 172/Cutlass (C172)
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ICAO C172 Small

Cessna Skyhawk 172/Cutlass

Single Piston· 20,154 globally registered

The Cessna 172 Skyhawk holds the distinction of being the most-produced aircraft in history, with more than 44,000 airframes delivered since its introduction in 1956. Built by Cessna Aircraft Company as a four-seat, high-wing trainer and personal aircraft, the 172 became the backbone of flight training worldwide and remains in continuous production today, a manufacturing run spanning nearly seven decades. Its docile handling, forgiving stall characteristics, and rugged tricycle landing gear made it the default choice for ab-initio pilot training across six continents, and its ubiquity means more pilots have logged their first solo in a 172 than any other type. The Skyhawk's operating envelope is modest but practical: powered by a Lycoming O-320 or O-360 four-cylinder engine producing 150 to 180 horsepower, it cruises at around 120 knots, stalls at 40 knots in landing configuration, and has a never-exceed speed of 163 knots. Maximum takeoff weight is 2,550 pounds, and typical range is 500 to 600 nautical miles with reserves. The aircraft's simplicity (fixed landing gear, fixed-pitch or constant-speed propeller, manual flight controls) keeps operating costs low and maintenance straightforward, which explains its enduring popularity among flight schools, flying clubs, and private owners. While the 172 will never set speed or altitude records, its reliability and ease of operation have made it the most successful general aviation aircraft ever built. SkyMeter has tracked 100,306 flights across 9,376 airframes and 5,246 operators, with CHRISTIANSEN AVIATION LLC the largest observed operator.

ACTIVE AIRFRAMES
9,376
last 7 days
🏢
OPERATORS
5,246
unique airlines
📊
FLIGHTS
100,306
tracked
AVG DURATION
48m
per flight
INCIDENT RATE
4.4%
4,455 flagged

Safety in context

The incident rate counts flights with ANY safety event detected by SkyMeter: go-arounds (a routine response, not a failure), unstable-approach gate flags (advisory thresholds), rejected takeoffs (the system working as designed), and runway events. It is NOT an accident rate or fatality rate. The C172 is widely used for primary flight training, so a substantial share of flagged events are stall-recognition practice and pattern-work go-arounds. That is normal training activity, not a safety-of-flight problem. For accident statistics, refer to the NTSB Aviation Accident Database (USA) or the Aviation Safety Network. See methodology for what each event type measures.

Performance

Speed envelope & approach

Vref
62 kt
Vref range
Vmo
Mmo
Vne
163 kt
Vno
129 kt
Vs1 (clean)
47 kt
Vs0 (landing)
40 kt
Vfe
85 kt
Approach category
A

Dimensions

Airframe geometry

Wingspan
36 ft
Length
27 ft
Tail height
9 ft
Wheelbase
5 ft
Gear width
8 ft
Wake category
Light

Weight & identification

Operating limits

MTOW
2,550 lb
MALW
2,450 lb
Manufacturer model
Cessna Skyhawk 172/Cutlass
FAA designator
C172
Registered
20,154

Top operators

By fleet size · last 7 days

30
CHRISTIANSEN AVIATION LLC 148 aircraft
2,014 flights
EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY INC 88 aircraft
1,393 flights
WINGS OVER TEXAS HOLDINGS LLC 92 aircraft
1,253 flights
ALF IX LLC 53 aircraft
787 flights
EPIC AVIATION INC 35 aircraft
750 flights
WINGSLEASING LLC 40 aircraft
734 flights
Brampton Flying Club 17 aircraft
729 flights
CIVIL AIR PATROL 86 aircraft
679 flights
AEROSIM ACADEMY INC 22 aircraft
583 flights
AMERICAN PATROLS INC 59 aircraft
569 flights
HIGH FLIGHT ACADEMY LLC 13 aircraft
524 flights
TEXTRON AVIATION INC 29 aircraft
518 flights
INFINITY FLIGHT GROUP LLC 25 aircraft
499 flights
Waterloo-Wellington Flying Club 10 aircraft
498 flights
EMBRY RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY INC 26 aircraft
480 flights
MUSTANG SALLY AVIATION LLC 34 aircraft
473 flights
AMERIFLYERS OF TEXAS INC 18 aircraft
471 flights
REGISTRATION PENDING 33 aircraft
467 flights
PHOENIX EAST AVIATION LLC 20 aircraft
403 flights
MELBOURNE FLIGHT TRAINING LLC 19 aircraft
391 flights
EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY 21 aircraft
387 flights
CAREER TRACK 2 LLC 24 aircraft
382 flights
CAREER TRACK 4 LLC 20 aircraft
356 flights
SINGAPORE FLYING COLLEGE PTE LTD 16 aircraft
344 flights
CAREER TRACK 3 LLC 18 aircraft
307 flights
EASTERN CINCINNATI AVIATION INC 15 aircraft
307 flights
AERO EQUITIES LLC 10 aircraft
299 flights
FF22 LLC 15 aircraft
299 flights
ATP AIRCRAFT 1 LLC 25 aircraft
280 flights
ATPCE LLC 17 aircraft
275 flights

Safety profile

Flagged flights · last 7 days

Recent incidents

Flagged flights of C172

20
07/27/2026
23m
△ Low approach-stability score
07/27/2026
28m
△ Low approach-stability score
07/27/2026
47m
△ Low approach-stability score
07/27/2026
49m
△ Low approach-stability score
07/27/2026
36m
△ Low approach-stability score
07/27/2026
51m
△ Low approach-stability score
07/27/2026
22m
△ Low approach-stability score
07/27/2026
31m
△ Low approach-stability score
07/27/2026
52m
△ Low approach-stability score
07/27/2026
40m
△ Low approach-stability score

Recent flights

Real flights of C172 · airborne ≥ 20 min

30
07/27/2026
19m
No alerts
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19m
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20m
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20m
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20m
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20m
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21m
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21m
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21m
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21m
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22m
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22m
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22m
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22m
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22m
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22m
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22m
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22m
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22m
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22m
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07/27/2026
22m
No alerts
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© SkyMeter · All flight data subject to ODbL attribution · Tracking window: 7 days (free tier)