The Cessna 172P Skyhawk is a four-seat, single-engine, high-wing, fixed-wing aircraft. First flown in 1955  and still in production, more Cessna 172s have been built than any other aircraft. 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. As of 2008, more than 43,000 had been built. The Cessna 172 started life as a tricycle landing gear variant of 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 1,400 were built in 1956, its first full year of production.

Early 172s were similar in appearance to the 170, with the same straight aft fuselage and tall gear legs, although the 172 had a straight vertical tail while the 170 had a rounded fin and rudder. Later 172 versions incorporated revised landing gear and the sweptback tail which is still in use today. The final aesthetic development in the mid-1960s, was a lowered rear deck that allowed an aft window. Cessna advertised this added rear visibility as "Omni-Vision". This airframe configuration has remained almost unchanged since then, except for updates in avionics and engines, including the Garmin G1000 glass cockpit in 2005. Production had been halted in the mid-1980s, but was resumed in 1996 with the 160 hp (120 kW) Cessna 172R Skyhawk and was supplemented in 1998 by the 180 hp (135 kW) Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP.

A variant of the 172, the T-41 Mescalero is used as a trainer with the United States Air Force and Army. Because of its high-wing design, stability at low airspeeds, and relatively low stall speed, the 172 used as platform for search operations, and is the primary platform for the Civil Air Patrol's search operations and Cadet Orientation Flights.  

Speed: Maximum 123 Knots  Cruise 120 Knots

Range:  75 % Power at 8,000 FT 440 NM   Maximum at 10,000 FT   520 NM

Rate of Climb: 700 FPM

Service Ceiling: 13,000 FT

Takeoff Performance: Ground Roll: 890 FT Distance Over Obstacle 1625 FT

Landing Performance: Ground Roll

Distance Over Obstacle 540 FT

Distance Over Obstacle 1280 FT

Stall Speed:  Flaps Up, Power Off, 51 Knots  Flaps Down, Power Off, 46 Knots

Maximum Weight 2400 LBS  Standard Empty Weight1433 LBS  Maximum Useful Load   974 LBS

Fuel Capacity:  Total 43 GAL   Useable 40 GAL   Oil Capacity 8 QTS

Crew: Three, Mission Pilot, Observer, Scanner

The Civil Air Patrol areas on display will be Cadet Programs, Emergency Services and its Drug Demand Reduction Program.

Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with 55,600 members nationwide. CAP performs 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and was credited by the AFRCC with saving 91 lives in fiscal year 2008. Its volunteers also perform homeland security, disaster relief and counter-drug missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. The members play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to the nearly 22,000 young people currently participating in CAP cadet programs. CAP has been performing missions for America for more than 67 years. For more information on CAP, visit www.gocivilairpatrol.com. Local information on Civil Air Patrol can be found at www.ilgp1.org/

Information and photo courtesy of the Civil Air Patrol