Summary A Cessna 172S Skyhawk flew from Merced to Honolulu, covering 2,537 miles in over 17 hours. Pilot Tom Lopes used extra fuel bladders to increase the aircraft's range for the long flight. The Cessna 172 is the most produced aircraft in history, popular for training and general aviation missions.
On Tuesday, August 6th, a Cessna 172S Skyhawk completed one of the longest possible flights for the piston-engine aircraft. The Skyhawk flew from Merced, California , to Honolulu, Hawaii , flying almost entirely over the Pacific Ocean. This flight required over 2,500 nautical miles of range, significantly more than the standard Cessna 172 Skyhawk's 640 nautical mile range (737 miles).
Let's take a closer look at how this unique feat was accomplished. It was an overnight sales success and is still being produced today. The long flight The Cessna 172 Skyhawk departed Merced Regional Airport (MCE) in Merced, California, at approximately 06:00 local time.
Per FlightAware , the aircraft arrived at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) in Honolulu, Hawaii, at 20:31 local time. The entire journey took more than 17 and a half hours and the flight route amounted to 2,537 miles.
During this trip, the aircraft averaged flying at an altitude of 6,000 feet, although it peaked at 8,000 feet. It flew anywhere from 135 to 155 miles per hour for most of the flight. Per The Autopian , the pilot who conducted this flight is Tom Lopes.
Lopes owns Gateway Air Center and is an experienced ferr.