Cessna Skyhawk Celebrates 70th Birthday

The Cessna 172 Skyhawk shared its 70th birthday with parent company Textron Aviation’s Top Hawk Program, which is celebrating its 10th. Top Hawk provides student pilots with an opportunity to learn to fly, and the Skyhawk is among the most popular trainers in the field.

Since the launch of Top Hawk in 2015, Textron has placed close to fifty 172s with participating training organizations around the world. According to Textron, the organizations receive factory-new aircraft that are custom branded. They are free to use the aircraft for student training throughout the program—as well as for promotional activities to stimulate pilot training.

Lannie O'Bannion, Textron Aviation senior VP of sales & marketing, said, "With a demand for more than 200,000 new pilots globally in the next decade, it's vital to support young people pursuing aviation opportunities. The Skyhawk provides students with a technologically advanced flight training platform, ensuring that students at Top Hawk organizations are equipped with high quality equipment as the cornerstone of their careers.”