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 ferry pilot. He has a background in transporting aircraft to their new owners. He has also completed a similar flight from California to Hawaii, also in a Cessna 172.
Over two years ago, Lopes flew a different Cessna 172 from Merced to Honolulu, flying just over 18 hours and a total of 2,521 miles. Lopes most likely conducted this flight similar to the ferry flight from two years ago. Per The Autopian, Lopes filled every possible inch of the interior with extra fuel bladders.
This expanded the aircraft's fuel capacity and allowed the aircraft to reach the range necessary to complete this flight. About the Cessna 172 The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is the most produced aircraft in general aviation history. The light aircraft was first introduced in 1956, and, since then, Cessna has produced nearly 45,000 total aircraft.
The popular high-wing aircraft features a piston-powered engine, and is typically used as a trainer or for general aviation owner-operators. The Cessna 172 was introduced as an improvement to the Cessna 170. However, Cessna implemented tricycle landing gear, instead of the tailwheel configuration that was used on the Cessna 170.
Currently, Cessna produces the Cessna 172S variant, the most upgraded version. This aircraft uses a Lycoming IO-360 engine, which provides the aircraft with approximately 160 horsepower. This helps the aircraft reach the following performance specifications: Maximum capacity Three passengers Length 27 feet two inches Height Eight feet eleven inches Wingspan 36 feet one inch Maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) 2,550 pounds Cruise speed 124 knots Maximum range 640 nautical miles Service ceiling 13,500 feet.
