How many Cessna 162 Skycatchers were built?

Approximately 275 Skycatchers were built between 2009 and 2013, of which roughly 192 to 210 were delivered to end customers per trade-press accounts. The remainder were unsold when Cessna ended production. The type was always a small fleet relative to the 150/152 family that preceded it.

Why did Cessna stop building the 162 Skycatcher?

Cessna ended production in 2013 citing weak manufacturing economics on the programme. Final list price had climbed to roughly 149,000 USD, which left little margin against competing S-LSAs from Pipistrel, Tecnam, Flight Design and others, and the market did not absorb deliveries at the volume Cessna had projected.

Is the Cessna 162 Skycatcher a Light Sport Aircraft?

Yes. The 162 is certificated as a Special Light Sport Aircraft (S-LSA) against ASTM F2245 consensus standards rather than as a Part 23 normal category aircraft. Maximum take-off weight is 1,320 lb; the type can be flown by a sport-pilot certificate holder and is approved for day VFR in the factory delivery configuration. Night and IFR operations are not approved.

What engine does the Cessna 162 Skycatcher use?

The 162 is powered by a Continental O-200-D, a 100 hp version of the long-running O-200 family that Continental developed specifically for the Light Sport segment. The engine burns 100LL avgas at roughly 5 gph in cruise and drives a fixed-pitch composite propeller.

Is the Cessna 162 Skycatcher a good trainer aircraft to buy?

Schools considering the type should weigh the small surviving fleet (under 300 airframes), the production-ended status since 2013, and the thinner independent parts and overhaul network against the type's fuel efficiency and modern factory glass panel. Most flight schools looking for a current-production primary trainer at S-LSA weight gravitate to the Pipistrel Alpha Trainer, Tecnam P-Mentor, Tecnam P92, or Comco Ikarus C42 instead — all covered in this directory.

Cessna (Textron Aviation)

162 Skycatcher

Light sport aircraft (LSA) · LSA trainer · 2000s glass era

discontinued

Photo: Ahunt via Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

Power: 100 hp
Cruise: 112 kt
MTOW: 1,320 lb
Range: 470 nm
Fuel: 100LL avgas

🇺🇸Specs shown in Imperial.

Performance

Cruise speed (Vc)112 kt
Never-exceed speed (Vne)138 kt
Stall (landing config) (Vs0)39 kt
Climb rate890 fpm
Service ceiling15,500 ft
Range470 nm
Endurance4 h
Takeoff roll1,290 ft
Landing roll1,380 ft

Weights

MTOW1,320 lb
Empty weight830 lb
Useful load490 lb
Baggage capacity50 lb

Dimensions

Wingspan30 ft
Length22.8 ft
Height8.5 ft
Cabin width44 in

Powerplant

EngineContinental O-200-D — 100 hp · 100LL · 5 gph
Total horsepower100 hp
Primary fuel100LL avgas
Unleaded pathG100UL eligible (STC available)

Cockpit & avionics

Cockpit typeglass
Autopilot commonly availableNo
Typical packages
- Garmin G300 (Skycatcher-specific dual-display)— 2009–2013 new-build
- Single-screen Garmin G300 variant— early 2009–2010 airframes
Training note
The Garmin G300 panel fitted to the Skycatcher was a Skycatcher-specific configuration with an unusual single-tube panel layout; CFIs transitioning from G1000-equipped 172s should brief students separately on the menu structure and on the absence of an integrated autopilot in the original delivery configuration.

Certification

RegulatoryASTM F2245 consensus standards · FAA S-LSA
Certified rolesSpecial Light Sport Aircraft (S-LSA) · Day VFR (factory) · Night VFR and IFR not approved as Light Sport
IFRNo
Spin approvedNo
Aerobatic-categoryNo
TailwheelNo
Complex (FAR 61.31)No
High-performance (FAR 61.31)No

Why is the 162 Skycatcher popular?

Structured popularity-driver evidence. Each axis below carries one factual statement; we don't grade, the facts speak.

Production volume

Approximately 275 Skycatchers were built between 2009 and 2013 before Cessna ended the programme. Roughly 192 to 210 were delivered to end customers per multiple trade-press accounts; the remainder went unsold.

Regulatory fit

Built to ASTM F2245 consensus standards and operated as a Special Light Sport Aircraft (S-LSA) in the US, which means a sport-pilot certificate can operate the type and BasicMed or third-class medical is not required for the sport-pilot privileges.

Operating economics

Carbureted Continental O-200-D burns roughly 5 gph of 100LL — about 40 percent less than the 8.5 gph of a 172S — though the small surviving fleet limits any flight school's exposure to the type for fleet-scale operations.

Parts and MRO ecosystem

Cessna ended production in 2013 and the type now sits outside the active new-build line-up; parts support continues through Textron Aviation but the small fleet (under 300 airframes) limits the depth of independent maintenance networks compared with the 150/152 and 172.

Before you buy more aircraft

The next airframe is rarely the highest-leverage move.

Flight school revenue is a function of three things — utilisation, dispatch reliability, and student progression — that multiply rather than add. Most schools running below 850 hours per aircraft per year have hidden capacity worth more than the next purchase, already paid for and sitting on the ramp.

Read: Why buying more aircraft probably won't grow your school

Operations

Record hours, no profit

Where margin actually leaks when the schedule looks full.

Strategy

The three hurdles to profitability

The structural barriers most expansion plans miss.

How flight schools track this aircraft in Aviatize

Schools that still operate a Skycatcher typically configure it in Aviatize as a single-airframe LSA resource, with the Continental O-200-D modelled as a child component for TBO and overhaul-reserve tracking. Sport-pilot privileges should be reflected in the pilot-currency validation rules so the booking engine does not surface the airframe to pilots whose privileges don't extend to S-LSA operations. Fuel is 100LL.

schedulingaircraft maintenancetraining management

Editorial confidence

Medium confidenceLast reviewed 2026-05-26

Spec data and regulatory positioning sourced from the manufacturer engine brief, the type-club site, and the aggregated Wikipedia account. Specific production-count and price-trajectory claims are widely reported but vary between sources; treat as approximate.

Notes on this entry

Fleet-size figures
Production-total accounts vary across trade-press sources between roughly 192 delivered, 210 delivered, and 275 built (including unsold airframes). The figure presented here is the most commonly cited total-built number; treat any specific count as approximate.

Sources

Primary sources are POH / TCDS / manufacturer pages; derived sources record where Aviatize editorial synthesis is layered on top.

Secondary sourceAviatize-internal·Retrieved 2026-05-26
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cessna_162_Skycatcher
Wikipedia article. Facts verified on 2026-05-26: 'Number built 275+' (December 2013); Manufactured December 2009 – December 2013; first flight October 13, 2006 (concept aircraft) and March 8, 2008 (conforming prototype); Continental O-200-D, 100 hp; cruise speed 112 kn; maximum speed 118 kn; range 470 nmi; service ceiling 15,500 ft; rate of climb 890 ft/min; wingspan 30 ft; length 22.8 ft; height 8.53 ft; empty weight 830 lb; gross weight 1,320 lb; cabin width 44 inches at shoulder height. The initial proof-of-concept flew with a Rotax 912S; the production aircraft is Continental O-200-D powered.
Primary sourceManufacturer brief·Retrieved 2026-05-14
Continental Aerospace Technologies (via Air Power)
https://www.airpowerinc.com/o-200-d
Continental O-200-D engine reference data used in the Skycatcher.
Primary sourceType Club·Retrieved 2026-05-14
Cessna Owner Organization
https://www.cessnaowner.org/
Cessna Owner Organization — type club covering Cessna single-engine pistons including the Skycatcher.
Editorial synthesisAviatize-internal·Retrieved 2026-05-14
Aviatize editorial
Entry authored by Aviatize from accumulated industry knowledge cross-referenced against the primary sources cited above. Specific production figures and pricing claims are research-backlog candidates and should be verified against primary sources before any commercial use.

Related aircraft

Other training airframes commonly evaluated, operated, or compared alongside the 162 Skycatcher.

Discontinued

150 / 152

Cessna (Textron Aviation)

Single-engine piston

Power: 110hp
Fuel: 100LL avgas

Ab-initio / PPLSpin trainingDiscovery flights

172 Skyhawk

Cessna (Textron Aviation)

Single-engine piston

Power: 180hp
Fuel: 100LL avgas

Ab-initio / PPLIFR ratingDiscovery flights+2

Virus / Alpha Trainer family

Pipistrel (Textron eAviation)

Ultralight / microlight

Power: 80hp
Fuel: Unleaded mogas (EN228 / autofuel)

Ab-initio / PPLDiscovery flights

P92 Echo / Eaglet

Tecnam

Ultralight / microlight

Power: 100hp
Fuel: Unleaded mogas (EN228 / autofuel)

Ab-initio / PPLDiscovery flights

Ikarus C42

Comco Ikarus

Ultralight / microlight

Power: 100hp
Fuel: Unleaded mogas (EN228 / autofuel)

Ab-initio / PPLDiscovery flights

Photos & credits: each thumbnail opens that aircraft’s page, where the photographer and licence are credited under the hero image.

Back to the full directory Or browse by operating profile →