OLSON THOMAS L· ICAO24 a9b14d· last seen 14d ago

N72318 is a Cessna 120, a single-engine piston aircraft operated by OLSON THOMAS L. SkyMeter has tracked 46 flights totalling 11 hours of airtime via ADS-B across 2 callsigns. The most frequent segment is K1H0 to KCPS. Service window in our records spans 398 days. Of those flights, 2 (4.3%) carry at least one detected incident: a go-around, unstable approach, stall warning, or runway excursion. The Cessna 120 has a 33 ft wingspan, a maximum takeoff weight of 1,500 lb.

About the Cessna 120

The Cessna 120 is a two-seat, single-engine tailwheel aircraft that emerged in 1946 as Cessna's entry into the postwar general aviation boom. Designed as an affordable trainer and personal aircraft for returning veterans, the 120 shared its basic airframe with the slightly more upscale Cessna 140 but featured fabric-covered wings instead of metal and a more spartan interior to keep costs down. Powered by an 85-horsepower Continental C-85 engine, it was built for simplicity and economy rather than speed or range, making it an ideal first airplane for thousands of pilots learning to fly in the late 1940s.

Cessna produced approximately 2,000 Model 120s between 1946 and 1949, when production shifted entirely to the 140 and its successors. The type's light wing loading, docile handling, and forgiving stall characteristics made it a favorite among tailwheel instructors, and its straightforward tube-and-fabric construction meant that owner-maintained examples could remain airworthy for decades with relatively modest expense. Today the 120 is prized in the vintage aircraft community for its classic lines, honest flying qualities, and the pure stick-and-rudder skills it demands: no electrical system, no flaps, no nosewheel, just a pilot, a stick, and the sky.

With a never-exceed speed of 140 knots and a stall speed around 38 knots in landing configuration, it operates in a leisurely flight envelope that rewards precision over haste. SkyMeter has tracked flights across airframes and operators, with among the most active observed owners.

FLIGHTS
46
all time
FLOWN HOURS
11
tracked time
📍
AIRPORTS VISITED
28
unique
📡
CALLSIGNS
2
23 routes
📅
SERVICE PERIOD
06/07/2025 → 07/10/2026
first → last
INCIDENT RATE
4.3%
2 flagged

Top routes

By flight count

10
1
1
1
WI64 68C
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

Flight numbers

Most-flown by this airframe

2

Aircraft specifications

Cessna 120

Engines
Single Piston
Vref (approach)
52 kt
MTOW
1,500 lb
Wingspan
33 ft
Length
22 ft
Wake category
Light

Recent flights

Newest 23 operations of N72318

23
07/10/2026
18m
No alerts
06/06/2026
12m
No alerts
09/16/2025
10m
△ Low approach-stability score
09/16/2025
17m
No alerts
08/13/2025
7m
No alerts
08/13/2025
7m
No alerts
© SkyMeter · All flight data subject to ODbL attribution