No #1 The most-produced light aircraft in history, the Cessna 172 Skyhawk first appeared in 1956 and is still in volume production today, though production was suspended for more than a decade from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s. More than 43,000 Skyhawks have been built and the four-seater remains one of the most popular touring and training aircraft in the world. Go to any general-aviation airport and you'll probably see dozens of Cessna 172s. Dozens of versions of the Cessna 172 and the closely related Cessna 175 have been produced in the U.S. and (by Reims Aviation) in France. Offering a high-wing design, a low stall speed and a high degree of stability at low speeds, the Cessna 172 is an excellent search-and-rescue aircraft and forms the backbone of the Civil Air Patrol in the United States. The type is also operated by many air forces throughout the world.
