ICAO C152

Cessna 152

Cessna

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Iconic two-seat trainer that taught the world to fly.

First flight

1977

Category

Piston light aircraft

Seating

Range

756 km

Engines

1 × Lycoming O-235-L2C four-cylinder air-cooled piston engine (110 hp)

Status

In service

The Cessna 152 is a two-seat, single-engine light aircraft produced by Cessna between 1977 and 1985. It was developed as an improved successor to the Cessna 150, featuring a more powerful engine, updated avionics provisions, and refinements to airframe and cabin design. Over 7,500 units were built, making it one of the most numerous light aircraft in history. The 152 became the dominant trainer aircraft worldwide, used by flight schools and aviation academies across dozens of countries. Its docile handling characteristics, low operating costs, and forgiving stall behavior made it ideal for student pilots. Even decades after production ended, thousands remain in service at flight training organizations globally. The aircraft is powered by a Lycoming O-235 four-cylinder horizontally opposed engine driving a fixed-pitch propeller, paired with a fixed tricycle undercarriage. Its simplicity and reliability have ensured its longevity as a primary trainer long into the 21st century.

Notable operators

Operated primarily by flight schools and general aviation training organizations worldwide, with no commercial airline operators.

Notable facts

›Over 7,500 Cessna 152s were manufactured between 1977 and 1985.
›It is a direct development of the earlier Cessna 150, which first flew in 1957.
›The 152 uses a Lycoming O-235 engine, an upgrade from the Continental O-200 used in the 150.
›A two-seat aerobatic variant, the 152 Aerobat, was produced for aerobatic training.
›It remains one of the most widely used primary flight trainers in the world decades after production ended.