The Academy has the use of 3 Cessna 172 aircraft available for hire. Although visually quite similar to the 152, the 172 provides seating for up to four people, and offers a longer endurance.
The C172 is the ideal training aircraft for navigation training, as it has a higher cruising speed, more cockpit room for the pilots.
Measured by its longevity and popularity, the Cessna 172 is the most successful mass produced light aircraft in history. The first production models were delivered in 1956 and they are still in production.
The Cessna 172 started life as a relatively simple tricycle landing gear upgrade from the taildragger Cessna 170, with a basic level of standard equipment. The first flight of the prototype was in November 1955. The 172 became an overnight sales success and over 1400 were built in 1956, its first full year of production. Various models were added through the years, but this airframe configuration has remained almost unchanged since then, except for updates in avionics and engines.
