# Happy Birthday, 172! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 29, 2006, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-172/350403 "2006-03-29T15:16:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-172/350403/1 "2006-03-29T15:16:16Z")
That’s on the cover of AOPA _Pilot_ magazine this month. Yep, the venerable Cessna 172 is now 50 years old. I love that plane. I learned to fly in one. 🙂 In related news, [AOPA reports](http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsitems/2006/060327aircraft.html) aging aircraft are not a GA problem: > [@](#): > > The FAA claims that “aging general aviation aircraft impose an increasing threat to safety.” And they said over and over again at last week’s Aging GA Aircraft public meeting in Kansas City that they have to be “proactive.” But their belief doesn’t align with the facts. > > The data, in fact, shows that for GA aircraft weighing 12,500 pounds or less, the problem of mechanical or maintenance failure due to age is actually declining… ---
**Author:** ![St\_Ides](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@St\_Ides](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St_Ides)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-172/350403/2 "2006-03-29T23:24:36Z")
I don’t even think it’s possible to get a licence these days without some time in a 172. I don’t even know of a school with more than 3 aircraft that doesn’t have at least one 172. I’d still like to see some more newer GA aircraft on the market - just for some variety. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-172/350403/3 "2006-03-30T00:31:28Z")
> [@St\_Ides](#): > > I’d still like to see some more newer GA aircraft on the market - just for some variety. I just wish they were cheaper! The new 172 is $174,000. Price as tested, with 180 horse and Garmin glass: around $245,000. The other 172 they tested for the article was the first production 172. Yeah, it’s still flying! 🙂 According to the article the 172 has gotten better with every revision. But I still like the '68-'70 C-172K. They have the narrow spring steel mains that give it a look that can only be described as ‘jaunty’, plus the Lycoming four-cylinder as opposed to the earlier Continental six. ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-172/350403/4 "2006-03-30T01:57:37Z")
Oh, my. My bestust friend in the whole world co-owned a 172 until a few years ago. What a nice little airplane! I flew her (in the air only, I’m not a licensed pilot) many, many times. The night flights were the best. The first time my daughter ever went up in a light plane was on this one. Ditto my niece. We went one time to pick up his dad after a golf tournament in Georgia, and the dude manning the desk turned out to be a frat brother to one of my nephews. He tried to get “Brother Russell” on the phone to say his uncle was here, but he was out. He still got a lot of “street cred” afterward…too bad we couldn’[t take him up for a spin, though. Omigawsh, JLA, what a bunch of memories from that plane…the time the engine almost quit, the time a herd of deer ran across the runway on our roll-out…priceless. Good on ya, 172!!! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-172/350403/5 "2006-03-30T02:04:01Z")
> [@LiveOnAPlane](#): > > Omigawsh, JLA, what a bunch of memories from that plane… I have fond memories of dad’s 172. I can still smell it. Sadly, the last time I saw it it was parked derelict at Fullerton Airport. It hadn’t flown in a year, and that was three years ago. ☹ I tried to buy it, but the owner never replied to my letters. ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-172/350403/6 "2006-03-30T03:07:59Z")
Sad, just…sad. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![cabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@cabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cabdude)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-172/350403/7 "2006-03-30T04:12:05Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > According to the article the 172 has gotten better with every revision. But I still like the '68-'70 C-172K. They have the narrow spring steel mains that give it a look that can only be described as ‘jaunty’, plus the Lycoming four-cylinder as opposed to the earlier Continental six. Did the K have 40 degrees of flap? Just like an elevator button. Going down! 😃 Manys the hamfisted approach saved by using that little number. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-172/350403/8 "2006-03-30T05:11:55Z")
> [@cabdude](#): > > Did the K have 40 degrees of flap? Just like an elevator button. Going down! 😃 Oh, yeah. 😃 I liked them better than the 30º flaps. Now, I was flying dad’s plane. Had to be kind to the brakes! I’d routinely land with 40º flaps. Made for some short patterns and landings when the wind was up. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-172/350403/9 "2006-03-30T07:24:19Z")
My Dad had a 56 model. I can still smell it also. Great planes. 40º manual flaps is still the only way to fly small stuff IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Figaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ea666f/32.png) [@Figaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Figaro)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-172/350403/10 "2006-03-30T14:08:34Z")
I get the same magazine and enjoyed the article. My current go-to ride is a 172, and I love it (definitely a step up from the 152 I trained in!) - to me it’s the cadillac of the skies. Of course, I’ll certainly stop thinking that after I fly something much nicer some day, but I’m putting that off for as long as possible for the sake of my check book! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-172/350403/11 "2006-03-30T16:02:00Z")
> [@Figaro](#): > > to me it’s the cadillac of the skies. Of course, I’ll certainly stop thinking that after I fly something much nicer some day… Wait 'til you try a 182. Dad also had a '68 Skylane ([this is it](http://pw1.netcom.com/~heliboy/n42546b.jpg)), and my first reaction was ‘Wow! This can climb!’ The Skyhawk\* had a cruise prop, and not as much horsepower. I remember one trip in the Skylane coming back from Oregon. We started a descent to WJF over Bakersfield and we had a good tailwind. DME was reading 200 kts. 🆒 \*[This is it](http://pw1.netcom.com/~heliboy/n84573a.jpg). Dad bought it when it was six years old. I started flying it eight years later. Still looked the same. One of the later owners gave it a really nasty paint job. But it still had the original blue interior. (The aircraft was originally blue from the factory, but a San Diego radio station had it painted orange.) It had a cruise prop on it because the original prop lost six inches from one of the tips when it was being delivered to WJF. Had to make an emergency landing at El Toro. ---
**Author:** ![Figaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ea666f/32.png) [@Figaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Figaro)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-172/350403/12 "2006-03-30T16:20:57Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > \*[This is it](http://pw1.netcom.com/~heliboy/n84573a.jpg). Dad bought it when it was six years old. I started flying it eight years later. Still looked the same. One of the later owners gave it a really nasty paint job. But it still had the original blue interior. (The aircraft was originally blue from the factory, but a San Diego radio station had it painted orange.) It had a cruise prop on it because the original prop lost six inches from one of the tips when it was being delivered to WJF. Had to make an emergency landing at El Toro. Nice. The club I belong to has a lease-back on a 182, so I could check out in it if I wanted, but I just don’t think it’s worth the 140+/hr. fee I’d have to pay for rental. The 100+ I’m paying on the 172 is plenty tapping as it is. But it _would_ be fun to see 200kts someday! Maybe if I put my old 152 into a deep spin… :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-172/350403/13 "2006-03-30T16:30:01Z")
> [@Figaro](#): > > But it _would_ be fun to see 200kts someday! Maybe if I put my old 152 into a deep spin… :smack: Remember that that was literally ‘downhill, with a tailwind’. It wouldn’t go that fast in level flight on a calm day. Dad took me up in a 150 when I was little, but I’ve never flown a 150/152 myself. ---
**Author:** ![Figaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ea666f/32.png) [@Figaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Figaro)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-172/350403/14 "2006-03-30T17:42:31Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > Dad took me up in a 150 when I was little, but I’ve never flown a 150/152 myself. I have a real soft spot for the 152 because it’s what I did my check ride in. You have to dance on the rudder to keep it coordinated, it’s _way_ more finicky in a crosswind, and you’re practically sitting on the floor. Slow, too… My FAA examiner weighed in at a hefty 240, and I’m 6’3’’ and not super light, so we had to go up with about half fuel. Even then, I needed 10 degrees of flaps and _all_ of the runway to get us airborn on a hot summer day. Slow flight almost had us stalling at 60 kts! (usual is in the 40kts range without all the weight). I think the “order of fun” for plances I’ve flown so far goes: Aeronca champ with the doors off - taildragger’s dream! 152 172 But the GPS, comfy seats, and surplus power in the 172 have me spoiled these days. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-172/350403/15 "2006-03-30T19:17:26Z")
Just noticed that the plane mentioned in a report today on a [fatal air accident](http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10375321) here in NZ was a Cessna 172. Just an engine malfunction, but with dire consequences. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-172/350403/16 "2006-03-30T19:58:01Z")
Here’s an interesting factoid from [AVweb](http://www.avweb.com/news/reviews/182570-1.html) from 18 May 1997 ( **bolding** mine) : > [@](#): > > Airframe design has always been a strong suit of Cessna singles. Cessna airframes are incredibly rugged ( **the Skyhawk has never had an in-flight breakup** ) and appear to have no structural life limit (some of these aircraft are still going strong well beyond 10,000 hours). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-172/350403/17 "2006-03-30T23:50:37Z")
I’ve just looked up '573 on the [FAA registry site](http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/). Still registered to the same guy. I wonder if he ever got it flying again? No way for me to know, since it’s a little difficult to get to Fullerton Airport from here, but I have a feeling he hasn’t.