Four-seat piston single

What it costs to own a Cessna 172 Skyhawk

More 172s have been built than any other civil aircraft. Parts are easy to find and any A&P has worked on one, which keeps both maintenance and insurance predictable. It is the standard trainer at most schools and a common first airplane after the private checkride.

No credit card · Cancel anytime

Cessna 172 Skyhawk at a glance

Public manufacturer and POH figures, rounded to what owners see in practice. Your airframe will differ.

Engine

Lycoming O-320 / IO-360

160–180 hp by year

Fuel burn

8–10 gph

Cruise

120–125 KTAS

Useful load

800–950 lbs

varies with avionics

Seats

4

TBO

2,000 hrs

What it costs to run

Starting numbers for a Cessna 172 Skyhawk, with the two figures that vary most between owners left editable. Change either one and the totals update.

Use your own numbers

Fuel and hangar vary more between owners than anything else. The rest holds at the Cessna 172 Skyhawk baseline.

At 9 gph, that is $58.50 an hour in fuel.

$400 a month.

Fixed (annual)

$9,450

Hangar, insurance, annual, reserves

Typical range $8,000–$14,000

Variable / hour

$88

Fuel, oil, maintenance reserve

Typical range $70–$95

All-in / hour

$183

Fixed plus variable, at 100 hrs/year

Typical range $130–$210

Need financing in the number? the cost-of-ownership calculator takes a purchase price, down payment, and loan terms, and lets you change utilization and every reserve line as well.

Common ownership patterns

How Cessna 172 Skyhawk owners usually split the airplane. Each one changes the cost math, the scheduling problem, and what needs to be written into the agreement.

School trainer

Flying 500 to 800 hours a year under Part 61 or 141 instruction.

Club workhorse

Almost every club has one. Checkouts transfer anywhere and the operating cost is predictable.

First airplane

The step from renting to owning, usually within a year or two of the checkride.

Two-way partnership

Very common on 172s. Fixed costs split cleanly and scheduling conflicts are rare at two people.

Run the split in the partnership calculator, and for the agreement itself see the co-ownership guide.

Maintenance worth knowing about

Items that come up on this type specifically. Worth having in hand at a pre-buy and at every annual.

  • Seat rail cracks under AD 87-20-03. This one is checked at every annual for good reason.
  • Fuel cap O-rings degrade and let water in.
  • Cracked exhaust risers, more likely as engine time climbs.
  • Cowling hinge wear.
  • The 100-hour runs on Hobbs and the annual runs on the calendar. Track them separately or one will surprise you.
Keep the due-dates straight: the free inspection due-date calculator covers the annual, 100-hour, ELT, transponder, and pitot-static, and the engine reserve calculator sizes what to set aside per hour for the overhaul. For a fleet, Aloft360 tracks all of it against actual Hobbs time.

Cessna 172 Skyhawk FAQ

What does it cost to own a Cessna 172 Skyhawk?
Fixed costs — hangar, insurance, the annual, and reserves — run $8,000–$14,000 a year. Fuel, oil, and maintenance reserve add $70–$95 for every hour you fly. Put those together at 100 hrs/year and you land around $130–$210 an hour. Your own numbers will move with hangar rates, hull value, and how much you fly, so run them in the cost-of-ownership calculator.
What's the fuel burn on a Cessna 172 Skyhawk?
8–10 gph at typical cruise power. Treat that as a planning figure. Power setting, altitude, how you lean, and what you are carrying all change it.
How long is the engine TBO on a Cessna 172 Skyhawk?
2,000 hrs per the manufacturer. Divide the expected overhaul cost by hours-to-TBO and set that aside every hour, or the bill arrives all at once.
Who typically owns a Cessna 172 Skyhawk?
Student pilots, flight schools, clubs, and more personal aircraft owners than any other type.

Other aircraft

Cessna 150Cessna 182 SkylanePiper PA-28-181 ArcherPiper PA-28R ArrowBeechcraft Bonanza A36Cirrus SR20Cirrus SR22Diamond DA40Beechcraft King Air

Track your Cessna 172 Skyhawk in Aloft360

Inspections, squawks, flight logs, per-owner hours, and expenses in one place. Starts at $9/month for one aircraft, with a 30-day free trial and no credit card.