Cessna Aircraft delivered the 10,000th single-engine airplane built at its factory in Independence, Kansas, which opened in 1996 to restart piston airplane production after a lengthy hiatus.
The 172 Skyhawk went to Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, which took delivery of two additional Skyhawks at the same time. The airplanes will be used in the university’s aeronautical program, which includes four focus areas: commercial/corporate, unmanned aerial systems, military and missionary aviation.
The school’s fleet is centered around Cessna products and, in addition to the campus in Lynchburg, students can train at Cessna Pilot Centers around the country while taking academic classes remotely.
The Cessna 172 is by far the most widely produced airplane in the world, with more than 48,000 delivered to date. In most years it continues to be the most popular airplane on Cessna’s production line. The Independence facility also produces the Turbo Skylane JT-A, Stationair and TTx as well as the Citation Mustang and M2 twinjets.
While Cessna appears committed to continuing its single-engine production, with new additions and upgrades to the current product offering, the average number of airplanes delivered annually in the past five years has represented about one third of the average production numbers during the preceding 10 years at the Independence facility, according to statistics published by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.
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