Note: All times will change as aircraft still being flown TTAF 5,012.5 TSMO 1,494.8 Time Since Top End Overhaul 881.7 Time Since Prop Overhaul 577.2 Continental O-300D Manual Flaps Intercom Jacks on both sides of back seats Wet compass Side baggage door Paint 5 or 6 out of 10 Oil changes every 25 hours Good tires all around Logs all the way back to new 894 lbs useful load (Gross 2,300lbs, Empty 1,406lbs) 39gal Total Fuel (both tanks) Compressions #1 65, #2 66, #3 74, #4 68, #5 62, #6 62, but haven’t changed much in the 4 years I’ve owned the aircraft. Very good running engine. Includes towbar, auxiliary 3-pin charging cable, spare cylinder, Bruces cover -Recent Upgrades- Front seats reupholstered Feb 2025 Windows replaced all around Feb 2025 New fire retardant glare screen Feb 2025 Battery replaced Feb 2025 Ignition harness replaced July 2025 Newly rebuilt alternator April 2025 Newly rebuilt Slick mags July 2025 New Tempest spark plugs July 2025 IFR Cert Sept 2025 New ELT battery Feb 2025 -Other recent upgrades- Whelan LED Landing Light Newly overhauled attitude gyro January 2021 New spinner dome April 2021 New engine mount rubber bushings January 2023 Rebuilt nose strut March 2025

Home Airport(s)

Hangared at St Elmo 2R5 Mobile County Alabama

Manufacturer year

1963

Serial Number

17249830

Registration Number

N2530Y

Make/Model

Cessna 172D

Useful Load

894 lbs (Gross 2,300lbs, Empty 1,406lbs)

Avionics

Bendix​/​King KLN 90B TSO GPS (inop…may be repairable) Bendix​/​King KT76A Transponder Garmin SL30 NavCom MX300 NavCom PMA 6000B Audio Panel uAvionix Tail Beacon ADS-B Out (UAT band)

Aircraft Model Overview (Reference only)

The Cessna 172D Skyhawk is a four-seat, single-engine fixed-gear high-wing aircraft produced by Cessna Aircraft Company in Wichita, Kansas, for the 1963 model year. The 172D is a significant variant in the early Skyhawk lineage — it introduced a lowered rear fuselage deck and reshaped rear quarter windows that materially improved passenger visibility and gave the aircraft a cleaner, more refined profile that would define the Continental-era 172 through the remainder of its production. Built on the swept tail introduced by the 172C a year earlier, the 172D represents the Skyhawk's first fully modernized aesthetic and the direct visual ancestor of every subsequent 172 produced through the present day. As part of the world's most produced certified aircraft family, the 172D carries the full weight of the Skyhawk's reputation for docility, reliability, and accessibility. Power is provided by a Continental O-300-D horizontally-opposed six-cylinder carbureted engine producing 145 horsepower at 2,700 RPM, driving a two-blade McCauley fixed-pitch propeller. The Continental O-300's six-cylinder configuration delivers notably smooth, low-vibration power that many pilots cite as one of the Continental-era 172's most appealing operational qualities — a characteristic distinctly different from the four-cylinder Lycoming O-320 that would succeed it on the 172L. TBO is set at 1,800 hours, and while the O-300 is a reliable and historically well-proven engine, the overhaul and parts network is narrower than for Lycoming alternatives, and buyers should map Continental-experienced shop availability in their region before committing to an O-300-powered airframe. Fuel burn is typically 7.5 to 8.5 USG per hour at cruise power settings. The 172D airframe is all-metal semi-monocoque construction throughout, with fixed spring-steel tricycle landing gear that eliminates retractable system complexity and contributes to the type's enduring reputation for low maintenance demands. The high-wing configuration provides the characteristic Cessna advantages: gull-wing door entry from both sides, excellent downward visibility during flight, and a stable, forgiving platform in turbulence and crosswind conditions that has made the 172 family the primary aircraft for more first flights and student solos than any other type in history. The strutted wing provides structural rigidity within the airframe's weight and cost envelope, and the wing attach and strut fittings are well-documented inspection items for any vintage high-wing Cessna pre-purchase. The four-seat cabin reflects the practical, functional character of early 1960s Cessna production. The lowered rear deck introduced on the 172D meaningfully improves rear passenger sightlines compared to the earlier variants, and the reshaped rear windows add natural light and a sense of openness to the cabin that earlier Skyhawks lacked. Shoulder room and headroom are adequate for four average-build occupants, and the dual-door entry arrangement from both sides of the aircraft simplifies boarding in confined ramp spaces. The 1963 panel is a conventional analog layout; most surviving 172D airframes have received avionics updates of varying scope over their sixty-plus years of operation, with GPS navigation and ADS-B Out transponders now common across the active fleet. The 172D occupies a specific and well-understood tier in the Continental-era Skyhawk market — above the earlier straight-tail variants in visual refinement and rearward visibility, and sharing the swept tail and lowered deck profile with the 172E through 172H that followed it. The 172D's primary differentiation from the 172H reviewed elsewhere in this series is a four-year production gap and incrementally earlier systems specification, rather than any fundamental engineering change across the range. Both variants share the O-300-D engine, fixed-pitch propeller, and the same broadly accessible Cessna maintenance infrastructure. The Cessna Pilots Association (CPA) and Cessna Flyer Association both support the full 172 family, and A&P familiarity with the Continental-era Skyhawk airframe is broad across the certified maintenance community in North America. The 1963 Cessna 172D Skyhawk is a foundational example of the aircraft that defined American flight training and personal aviation for more than six decades. For buyers seeking a first aircraft, an affordable VFR and IFR training platform, or a historically significant example of the early swept-tail Skyhawk, the 172D presents an honest and capable proposition backed by the deepest support ecosystem of any aircraft type in certified aviation. Pre-purchase priorities on a 62-year-old airframe include corrosion inspection at wing attach points, strut fittings, and control surface hinges; logbook continuity; O-300 engine and prop status; and ADS-B Out and avionics currency for intended operations.