Factory-new Cessna Skyhawks (Model 172) will take flight as Wichita-based Textron Aviation names its five 2026 Top Hawk recipients—helping train the next generation of pilots.
The Top Hawk program loans custom‑branded, factory‑new Skyhawks to selected organizations for one year, giving students access to training aircraft and helping schools modernize their fleets. More than a thousand students have already trained in Top Hawk planes during the past decade.
Top Hawk was created to help aviation schools meet rising pilot demand; industry forecasts have projected a need for more than 200,000 new pilots during the coming decade.
Since 2015, the Top Hawk program has placed 55 new Skyhawks placed with training organizations.
Since the aircraft first took flight in 1955, more than 45,000 single-engine four-seat Skyhawks have been delivered to customers around the world – more than any other aircraft in the industry.
