Questions tagged [cessna-172]

The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a four-seat light aircraft, very commonly used in flight training

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Is it possible to install a bike rack on a Cessna 172?

I stumbled upon a nice photo manipulation on aviationhumor.net. Source My question is short and concise: Is it practically possible to do that? Is it okay in terms of aerodynamics, weight, CG? ...
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35 votes
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What happens if you exceed the maximum speed on a C172?

The airspeed indicator has a red marking that means: "never exceed this speed" ($V_{NE}$, around 160 KIAS). Why can't you exceed that speed?
user13197's user avatar
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25 votes
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Why does the lack of a magneto affect engine RPM?

So I don't have my pilots licence, but I was part of the Australian Air Force Cadets for nearly 8 years (wonderful organisation). During this time I went on a number of flights in Cessna 172's and ...
JamesENL's user avatar
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24 votes
3 answers
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What prevents a small plane like a Cessna or Piper from flying as high as a jet?

Obviously taking oxygen in consideration. What prevents a small plane from being able to fly at a much higher altitude? I know some business jets can fly up to 40,000 ft. Does it have to do with the ...
Boeing787's user avatar
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21 votes
7 answers
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How much physical strength is required to control a Cessna 172?

I have heard a number of folks tell me that one needs a certain amount of physical strength to be able to control the Cessna 172. Is that true? I'm flying sims now, just wanted to know.
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21 votes
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What are these holes in my Cessna 172, just in front of the elevator?

Been wondering about these for a while. Student pilot working on my PPL. When preflighting my Cessna 172 the other day, I noticed these holes just in front of the elevator. What are they for? The ...
AaronJPung's user avatar
21 votes
4 answers
9k views

Why did Cessna get rid of manual flaps in their 172?

At the club I fly at, there is an older Cessna 172 that has a manual "Johnson Bar" that is used to put the flaps down. In the newer 152, and I believe the rest of the planes (I have yet to fly them), ...
OneChillDude's user avatar
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20 votes
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Why do electronics have to be off before engine startup/shut down on a Cessna 172?

Can someone explain in simple words why we make sure electronics are off before we start up/ shut down our Cessna172 engine?
leha007's user avatar
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19 votes
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What is a Cessna 172's maximum altitude?

What is the maximum altitude at which a Cessna 172 can fly?
Daniel Chung's user avatar
18 votes
4 answers
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Should I have one hand on the throttle during engine ignition?

I'm training in a Cessna 172 for my private pilot license (PPL). My flight instructor recommended that I keep my checklist in one hand (so that I can keep looking outside with my peripheral vision) ...
Ryo Miyajima's user avatar
18 votes
4 answers
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Why not always take off with 10 degree flaps in a Cessna 172?

10 degree flaps increase our lift, reduce stall speed, reduce ground roll. Seems like all advantages with no disadvantages. So why does the Cessna 172 POH say normal take off is 0-10 degree flaps? Why ...
leha007's user avatar
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Is there anything extra required to spin a Cessna 172 in the Utility category?

I'm trying to find a suitable aircraft to get my spin endorsement for my CFI rating but am running into trouble with most aerobatic aircraft due to my height (too tall). My last thought is that I ...
Canuk's user avatar
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17 votes
4 answers
6k views

What causes a Cessna 172 and its gear to shake violently after landing and braking?

I am sure this was due to my own ignorance on proper technique, but immediately after landing in a Cessna 172, I applied brakes and some moderate aerodynamic braking and experienced an awful and ...
Ryan Griffith's user avatar
17 votes
4 answers
19k views

What could cause uneven fuel levels in a Cessna 172?

I went for a 1.5 hour flight in a 1977 Cessna 172N, with several takeoffs and landings. I was alone. When I left, I had 18 gallons in each tank. When I arrived back, I had 15 gallons in the left tank, ...
Peter's user avatar
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16 votes
5 answers
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What instructions should I give to an untrained passenger for Hand propping Cessna 172N as a pilot?

Does anybody know what is the most effective way of hand propping a Cessna 172N, with a passenger who is not mechanically inclined. So you need to give them the most easy to follow and simple ...
kamran's user avatar
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16 votes
3 answers
7k views

Could this "Wingless Dodo" fly in real life?

There is a wingless Cessna in GTA 3 that is so impossible to fly that the game counts how many seconds you manage to fly it. Would that plane fly at least 1 second in real life? The plane looks like ...
Delta Oscar Uniform's user avatar
16 votes
2 answers
2k views

What is the appropriate fuel tank selection to land a 172?

On a recent checkout on a C172 I was told to select "fullest tank" as opposed to "both" that I have been doing for years. Given the aircraft is high wing (gravity feed) with no auxiliary fuel pump ...
3GREENS's user avatar
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16 votes
2 answers
9k views

Which way should I rotate the propeller of a C172?

During pre-flight which direction should I be rotating the propeller of a Cessna 172 if I need to reach the alternator belt? I thought I was told "In the direction it rotates during flight"; however ...
aaronstran's user avatar
14 votes
4 answers
10k views

Why does the Cessna 172S Skyhawk use only two blade fixed pitched prop?

Surely it would get more thrust from a three blade variable pitch propeller. From what I've read it's all about the area swept and also should be far enough apart to not cause too much interference. ...
user9769's user avatar
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14 votes
12 answers
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What is the best method to time your round out or flare in Cessna 172?

I am a student pilot and I usually round out too high and I am not sure why. Can somebody guide me how to make decision whether I am too high or not.
pmoubed's user avatar
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12 votes
6 answers
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Does this fuel leak from the carburetor of a Cessna 172E need immediate maintenance?

Consider: I'm concerned with a fuel leak I've developed on my Cessna 172E in the past three weeks and appears to be coming from the carburetor. There is even some fuel in the air breather near the ...
Ron Davis's user avatar
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12 votes
3 answers
5k views

Why does the Cessna 152/172 nose wheel turn only when the aircraft is moving?

According to the POH, ground control is achieved by a spring loaded steering bungee. But how does it work and why the nose wheel does not move when the aircraft is stationary?
Nish's user avatar
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2 answers
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Why fuel left/right when C172 is secured?

The C172 POH checklists say to set the fuel selector to "right" or "left" when securing the plane but "both" while operating the plane. What is the point of changing the fuel selector when the engine ...
StephenS's user avatar
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12 votes
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Cessna 172/182: Should I set the tank selector to the R.H. tank after parking the airplane?

The single-engine Cessna 172 and 182 aircraft models have a dual gravity-fed fuel system, where you can draw from both the LH and RH tank simultaneously in flight. I've heard it said that when you ...
Canuk's user avatar
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12 votes
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In a Cessna 172 flying VFR on long final, when do I extend flaps to 10, 20, and 30 degrees?

At the pilot-controlled airfield I use most frequently, we fly a standard rectangular pattern. The normal-landing C172 flap sequence goes Downwind: 10 degrees past the “abeam point” and airspeed in ...
Greg Bacon's user avatar
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12 votes
3 answers
4k views

What lights does the Cessna 172 light rheostat control?

I am part of a team developing a Cessna 172 P model for FlightGear, an open source free flight simulator. We are now programming how the panel and radio lightning rheostat should work, but we found a ...
gilbertohasnofb's user avatar
12 votes
1 answer
4k views

What is this stem on the underside of a Cessna 172R (1997)?

There is a stem that is located on the underside of the airplane between the drain valves for the fuel strainer and reservoir tank. It looks like a small stem that is protruding. I have noticed it ...
Charlie's user avatar
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11 votes
4 answers
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How do I keep a C172 straight on the centerline during landing/rollout?

During rollout upon touching down, I'd often find myself veering off the runway centreline to the left. Every time I input rudder, I have this feeling that I am getting pulled out of the turn (while ...
shogunnyan's user avatar
11 votes
3 answers
3k views

Why is the initial short-field climb below Vₓ in a Cessna 172?

Short-field takeoff procedure for a Cessna 172R is Wing Flaps – 10°. Brakes – APPLY. Throttle – FULL OPEN. Mixture – RICH … Brakes – RELEASE. Elevator Control – SLIGHTLY TAIL LOW. ...
Greg Bacon's user avatar
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11 votes
3 answers
26k views

How to Recover from a Spin in Cessna 172?

How to recover from a spin in a Cessna 172 ? What are the different maneuvers that a pilot would have to use to to do so?
Kingofmit's user avatar
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11 votes
3 answers
5k views

How can I know if a landing exceeds the hard landing threshold for a Cessna 172S?

How does a pilot determine the difference between a firm landing, and one that needs to be written up for a hard landing inspection in a Cessna 172S?
Falconpilot's user avatar
11 votes
2 answers
7k views

Why should one not slip a Cessna 172 with flaps extended?

The POH strongly recommends not slipping the AC with full flaps...why? It seems natural in a crosswind approach to allow the horizontal lift component to cancel the airmass movement across the ...
Mark Anderson's user avatar
11 votes
3 answers
46k views

What are the landing stall speeds of a Cessna 172?

I understood from Why is stall speed listed in a POH? that the Cessna Skyhawk POH lists stall speeds for specific conditions due to a lack of AoA indicator. However, what's unclear to me is what the ...
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10 votes
3 answers
8k views

Why can we not use full throttle in a C172 when cruising at lower altitudes?

My flight training manual (FTM) says that at low altitudes we throttle back our trainers in order to not exceed recommended power settings. We use the Lycoming O-320 engine. But why is that? Is the ...
leha007's user avatar
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10 votes
2 answers
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Cessna 172: at which RPM should the oil pressure reach the green arc?

I am part of a team developing a Cessna 172 P model for FlightGear, an open source free flight simulator. We are now trying to improve the oil pressure and temperature simulation, and we have a ...
gilbertohasnofb's user avatar
9 votes
3 answers
3k views

What flaps position should be used for taking off from a wet runway?

If I have to take off in a C152 or C172 from a runway that's 800-900 meters (2600-3000ft) long and wet but not contaminated, what flap setting should I use to get the shortest ground roll?
Andrea Ghilardi's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
3k views

Why are some fuel-injected engines started with the mixture at idle cut-off?

The POH for a C172N with a carbureted Lycoming O-320 says: STARTING ENGINE Mixture -- RICH Carburetor Heat -- COLD Master Switch -- ON Prime -- AS REQUIRED Throttle -- OPEN 1/8 INCH ...
Pondlife's user avatar
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9 votes
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What are possible causes for the flaps not deploying on a Cessna 172?

I would like to seek some expert opinion on why my flaps failed to deploy when I took it to Flaps 20. I was turning from Downwind to Base when I took flaps 20 and noticed that my speed was creeping ...
shogunnyan's user avatar
8 votes
3 answers
5k views

How much rudder input does a Cessna 172 require during the take off roll?

I am part of an open-source project developing a simulation of a Cessna 172P. We are tweaking our flight dynamic model at the moment and we are looking for feedback from people with real life ...
gilbertohasnofb's user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
43k views

How to do Weight & Balance for Cessna 172?

What is the best method to do Weight & Balance for a Cessna 172? (If it's possible with a small tutorial!) Thanks
Kingofmit's user avatar
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8 votes
4 answers
42k views

In which phases of flight should the carb heat be turned on?

I have about 200 flight hours in a fuel-injected C172. I have just jointly bought a C152 with a carburetor and I am getting used to using the carb heat. I am scared whenever I hear stories about ...
RoundOutTooSoon's user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
2k views

Why does a fuel-injected engine have a mixture control?

For example, in a C172S fuel injected type, what does the mixture control lever control exactly in the fuel system? They have a fuel air control unit which regulates fuel flow based on air passing ...
Jimmy's user avatar
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7 votes
7 answers
2k views

Why does aileron response diminish as speed becomes slower, from slow-flight up to the stall? (In a light trainer)

Can someone phrase the explanation to this in simple words as you would explain to a student?
leha007's user avatar
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7 votes
3 answers
2k views

Turbulence from hot weather?

My introduction flight was canceled because of "the turbulence due to heat". They called half an hour before the time of the flight (Cessna 172). I'm okay to reschedule it but I'm a bit ...
mimic's user avatar
  • 173
7 votes
4 answers
1k views

Is an aircraft's maximum landing weight really weight, or is it mass?

I'm calculating the lift of a Cessna 172 and I don't understand the numbers given for weight. The maximum landing weight is 2550 pounds which is nearly 1134kg. But does that mean 1134 Newtons (weight) ...
wonwoo's user avatar
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7 votes
4 answers
9k views

Should I land a Cessna 172 with or without a little power?

Cessna 172 landings with full flaps. I have been taught to land with and without power. Give me feedback please. Which way should I continue my training?
W Gilcrist's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
4k views

Why does a Cessna 172 have dihedral wings if it has high wings?

"Dihedral goes hand in hand with low wing aircraft, and anhedral goes with high wing". This is what I assumed till now. But when I see a Cessna 172, the wings are a little dihedral. So why ...
Noorul Quamar's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
5k views

Should you immediately attain max glide speed after engine failure?

For the Cessna 172 Skyhawk maximum glide is attained at a speed of 65 KIAS. If you're flying well above this speed, let's say 90 KIAS, and suffer an engine failure, what would be the best practice: ...
user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
1k views

What is the safe separation for landing a Cessna-172 behind a commercial airline jet?

When is it safe to land a Cessna-172 after a commercial airline jet has landed?
Clyde Wheatley's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
476 views

Testing magnetos during engine failure

I'm a student pilot (PPL) and the C172 I fly has the following item in the emergency checklist for in-flight engine failures: MAGNETOS...............TEST My ...
Chris's user avatar
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