Cessna 172 Skyhawk (G1000)

2026-09-27

The glass-cockpit Cessna 172S in MSFS 2024: numbers, POH-order flows condensed for the sim, the G1000 NXi autopilot workflow and emergencies. The steam-gauge version of the same airplane is the 172 Classic. EFB, keys and assists are in sim basics, radio calls in ATC comms. Numbers come from the Cessna 172S Nav III GFC 700 POH (172SPHBUS-00, 2007) and FAA TCDS 3A12. Flows are paraphrased from that POH.

Profile

Item	Value	Source
model	Cessna 172S Skyhawk (SP), Nav III avionics	TCDS 3A12 section XII
role	4-seat trainer and tourer, fixed gear, fixed-pitch prop	POH
engine	Lycoming IO-360-L2A, fuel injected, 180 hp at 2,700 RPM	TCDS, POH, Textron
seats	4	TCDS, Textron
max takeoff / landing weight	2,550 lb (ramp 2,558 lb); utility category 2,200 lb	TCDS, POH, Textron
useful load	895 lb (POH 2007) / 878 lb (Textron today)¹	POH, Textron
fuel	56 gal total, 53 gal usable, two 28-gal wing tanks, 100LL	TCDS, POH, Textron
oil	8 qt	TCDS, POH
typical burn	about 9 gal/h (8,000 ft, 2,600 RPM, 68% power, leaned: 9.4 gal/h)	POH fig. 5-8
cruise	124 KTAS at 75% power, 8,500 ft (speed fairings on; 2 kt less without)	POH, Textron
ceiling	14,000 ft service ceiling	POH, Textron
climb	730 fpm at sea level	POH, Textron
range, 45 min reserve	518 NM at 75% power, 8,500 ft; 638 NM at 45%, 10,000 ft (Textron: 640 NM)	POH, Textron
takeoff / landing	960 ft ground roll, 1,630 ft over 50 ft / 575 ft roll, 1,335 ft over 50 ft	POH, Textron
crosswind	15 kt maximum demonstrated (not a limit)	POH
MSFS edition	Standard; built by Asobo	edition lists
avionics	Garmin G1000 NXi (Working Title), GFC 700 autopilot	Textron, MSFS avionics docs

Speeds

KIAS (indicated airspeed, knots) at 2,550 lb unless noted. POH figure 2-1, section 3 and section 4.

Speed	KIAS	What it means
Vs0	40	stall, flaps full, max weight (bottom of the white arc)²
Vs1	48	stall, flaps up, forward CG (bottom of the green arc)²
Vr	55	rotate: lift the nosewheel
Vx	62 (67 at 10,000 ft)	best angle of climb: most height per distance
Vy	74 (72 at 10,000 ft)	best rate of climb: most height per minute
normal climb	75–85 (70–80 at 10,000 ft)	cooler engine, better view than Vy
short-field takeoff	56 at 50 ft	flaps 10°, until obstacles clear
best glide	68	engine out, max distance
engine failure after takeoff	70 flaps up / 65 flaps 10°–full	also the power-off landing speeds
Va (maneuvering)	105 / 98 / 90 at 2,550 / 2,200 / 1,900 lb	full or abrupt control inputs only below this; also turbulence speed
Vfe (flaps extended)	110 flaps 10°; 85 flaps 10°–full³	top of the white arc is 85
Vno	129	max structural cruise: yellow arc above, smooth air only
Vne	163	never exceed (red line)
approach	65–75 flaps up; 60–70 flaps full	normal landing
short-field approach	61	flaps full, until the flare
balked landing (go-around)	60	full power, flaps 20°

Sim vs real: we found no published stall or V-speed figures for the sim model, so none of these can be checked against an official sim number. Fly the POH numbers and use the recipe below to see what your build does.

Cockpit & avionics

Generic FAA drawing of a G1000 Cessna panel (it adds a propeller knob the 172 does not have): PFD at left with its analog counterparts called out, MFD at right, STBY BATT and MASTER at far left, MAGNETOS key at lower left, throttle and mixture at the bottom Image: FAA, Instrument Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-15B) fig. 6-21, public domain, via FAA (opens in a new tab).

Where	What
left display	PFD: attitude, airspeed and altitude tapes, HSI, COM/NAV frequencies, AP mode annunciations along the top
right display	MFD: moving map, flight plan pages, and the engine strip on the left (RPM, fuel flow, oil, EGT, fuel, volts, amps)
between the displays	audio panel: COM1/COM2 mic select, NAV audio, marker beacons
display bezels	autopilot keys (AP, FD, HDG, ALT, NAV, VNV, APR, BC, VS, FLC, NOSE UP/DN) on the left side of each display
lower left panel	MASTER (ALT and BAT halves), STBY BATT, AVIONICS (BUS 1, BUS 2), FUEL PUMP, lights, MAGNETOS key
center pedestal	throttle (black), mixture (red), flap lever, elevator trim wheel, fuel selector (LEFT/BOTH/RIGHT) and fuel shutoff knob on the floor
standby instruments	airspeed, attitude and altimeter gauges, plus the magnetic compass

G1000 control	Use
HDG knob	set the heading bug; push to sync it to the current heading
ALT knob	set the altitude preselect (ALT SEL)
CRS/BARO knob	outer ring sets the altimeter, inner sets the course; push to center the CDI on the station
COM / NAV knobs	tune standby; the flip-flop key swaps active and standby
FMS knob	outer ring picks the page group, inner ring the page; push for a cursor
D→, FPL, PROC, MENU, CLR, ENT	direct-to, flight plan, procedures, page menu, clear, enter
PFD softkeys	CDI (GPS/NAV1/NAV2 source), OBS, XPDR, IDENT, TMR/REF, NRST, PFD options
MFD page groups	MAP, WPT (waypoint info), AUX (setup, GPS status), NRST

Normal procedures

Condensed from the POH order. The sim models most but not every item, so skip what it doesn't show.

Preflight

Item	Action / value
weight and balance	EFB: at or below 2,550 lb, CG in limits
fuel	enough for the trip + 45 min (53 gal usable, about 9 gal/h)
walkaround	remove pitot cover, chocks, tie-downs and covers the variant shows
ATIS and plan	frequencies noted, route in the EFB

Before start

Fuel selector on the floor between the seats (generic FAA drawing; the gallons on the 172 placard differ): turn it to BOTH before start Image: FAA, Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C) fig. 7-31, public domain, via FAA (opens in a new tab).

Item	Action / value
seats, belts	adjusted, locked
brakes	test and set parking brake
circuit breakers	in
electrical equipment	off
AVIONICS BUS 1 and 2	off for engine start
fuel selector	BOTH
fuel shutoff	on (pushed in)

Engine start

STBY BATT switch above the MASTER rocker on the lower left panel (generic FAA drawing): hold STBY BATT at TEST and watch the green lamp, set ARM, then switch both MASTER halves ON Image: FAA, Instrument Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-15B) fig. 11-6, public domain, via FAA (opens in a new tab).

Item	Action / value
throttle	open ¼ inch
mixture	idle cutoff
STBY BATT	test (green lamp stays on 20 s), then ARM: PFD comes on
engine page	no red X, essential bus at least 24 V
prop area	clear
MASTER (ALT and BAT)	on
beacon	on
prime (cold engine only)	fuel pump on, mixture full rich 3–5 s until fuel flow shows, mixture cutoff, pump off
MAGNETOS	START; release when it fires
mixture	smoothly to rich
oil pressure	green within 30–60 s
amps, LOW VOLTS	charging (+); annunciator out
nav lights, AVIONICS 1 and 2	on

Before taxi / taxi

Item	Action / value
ATIS, altimeter	BARO set, compare field elevation
COM/NAV	ground and tower tuned
flight plan	loaded and checked (FPL page)
transponder	code set
flaps	up
taxi light, brakes	on; test brakes as you roll
instruments in turns	heading and HSI move correctly, ball and turn indicator swing
mixture	leaned on the ground at high field elevations (common practice)

Run-up

MAGNETOS key on the lower left panel (generic FAA drawing): at 1,800 RPM turn it to R, back to BOTH, then L, back to BOTH, and note each RPM drop Image: FAA, Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C) fig. 7-16, public domain, via FAA (opens in a new tab).

Item	Action / value
parking brake	set
doors, windows, belts	closed, secure
flight controls	free and correct
PFD, standby altimeter	no red X; both altimeters set
ALT SEL	first assigned altitude
fuel	quantity checked, selector BOTH, mixture rich
autopilot test	engage AP, overpower in pitch and roll, disconnect with the A/P TRIM DISC button (aural tone)
flight director	off
trim	takeoff mark
1,800 RPM	mag drop ≤ 150 RPM each, ≤ 50 RPM between; vacuum, engine and electrical in the green
annunciators	none
idle	check, then ≤ 1,000 RPM
radios, CDI source	COM/NAV set, CDI on GPS or NAV as needed
flaps	0°–10° (10° preferred)
strobes	on

Takeoff

Item	Action / value
flaps	0°–10°
power	full throttle; mixture rich (above 3,000 ft pressure altitude, lean for max RPM)
rotate	55 KIAS
climb	70–80 KIAS; flaps up at a safe height
short field	flaps 10°, full power on the brakes, release, 56 KIAS to 50 ft, flaps up slowly above 60

Climb

Item	Action / value
airspeed	75–85 KIAS cruise climb; Vy 74, Vx 62
power	full throttle
mixture	rich; lean for max RPM above 3,000 ft

Cruise

Item	Action / value
power	2,100–2,700 RPM, no more than 75%
trim	adjust
mixture	lean (EGT or best power), or rely on auto-mixture if the assist is on
FMS	review the route, next altitude, next frequency
typical setting	8,000 ft, 2,600 RPM: 68%, 119 KTAS, 9.4 gal/h (standard day)

Descent

Item	Action / value
power	as needed; mixture richer as you descend
altimeters	set destination BARO on PFD and standby
ALT SEL	next assigned altitude
CDI source	the navaid you'll fly
fuel selector	BOTH
flaps	10° below 110 KIAS, more below 85

Approach

Item	Action / value
seats, belts	upright, secured
fuel, mixture	BOTH, rich
landing and taxi lights	on
autopilot	off by the approach minimums (or before the pattern)
speed	65–75 KIAS flaps up, 60–70 KIAS flaps full on final

Landing

Item	Action / value
final	60–70 KIAS, flaps full, trimmed
touchdown	main wheels first, lower the nose gently, brake as little as needed
short field	61 KIAS flaps full, idle as the obstacle clears, brake hard, flaps up
go-around	full throttle, flaps to 20°, 60 KIAS; flaps 10° once clear, then up above 65 KIAS

After landing

Item	Action / value
flaps	up
lights, transponder	strobes and landing light off; transponder per ATC or standby (common practice)
taxi	contact ground when told

Shutdown

Item	Action / value
parking brake	set
throttle	idle
electrical equipment, AVIONICS	off
mixture	idle cutoff
MAGNETOS	off (key out)
MASTER, STBY BATT	off
fuel selector	LEFT or RIGHT (stops fuel crossfeeding between tanks)
control lock, covers	installed

Flying it in the sim

Autopilot mode strip along the top of the PFD (generic FAA drawing): active modes show in green and armed modes in white, as ALTS does while it waits to capture ALT SEL Image: FAA, Advanced Avionics Handbook (FAA-H-8083-6) fig. 4-12, public domain, via govinfo (opens in a new tab).

Step	Action
plan	EFB Flight Planner or SimBrief → SEND TO AVIONICS (see sim basics)
check	FPL key on the MFD: departure, waypoints, approach, no gaps
nav source	CDI softkey: GPS for the flight plan, NAV1/NAV2 for VOR or ILS
altitude	ALT knob to the cleared altitude before takeoff
after takeoff	above about 1,000 ft AGL (above ground level), trimmed: HDG or NAV, then FLC or VS, then AP
climb	FLC at 75–85 KIAS; the AP captures ALT SEL (it shows ALTS armed)
cruise	ALT hold; lean; PFD shows the next waypoint and ETE (time to go)
descent	set ALT SEL lower, then VS about −500 fpm, or VNV to follow published altitudes

Autopilot keys on the left bezel of a G1000 display (generic FAA drawing of an older bezel with a YD key the 172 lacks): AP, FD, HDG, NAV, APR, ALT, VS, FLC and NOSE UP/DN Image: FAA, Advanced Avionics Handbook (FAA-H-8083-6) fig. 4-3, public domain, via govinfo (opens in a new tab).

AP key	Mode	Notes
AP	engage/disengage	with nothing chosen it holds wings level (ROL) and current pitch (PIT)
FD	flight director only	command bars without the servos
HDG	follow the heading bug	turn the bug, the plane follows
NAV	track the CDI source	GPS flight plan, VOR or localizer
APR	approach	localizer + glideslope, or GPS lateral + vertical guidance
ALT	hold current altitude	NOSE UP/DN nudge the target
VS	hold vertical speed	NOSE UP/DN change the fpm
FLC	hold airspeed with pitch	set power for the climb or descent you want; NOSE UP/DN change the target speed
VNV	vertical navigation	descends to the flight plan's altitude constraints
BC	back course	reverse-sensing localizer approaches

The POH warns that switching the CDI source while the AP is in NAV, APR or BC drops it to ROL (wings level) with no aural alert. Set the heading bug and CDI source before you re-engage.

Approach setup. PROC → Select Approach → pick the approach and transition (or vectors) → LOAD, then ACTIVATE when cleared. For an ILS, check that the localizer frequency is in NAV1 and that the CDI shows LOC1 inside the final approach course. Arm with APR. Brief minimums with the ALT bug or the BARO minimums on the PFD (TMR/REF).

Emergencies

Immediate-action items are bold. Paraphrased from POH section 3.

Situation	Flow
engine failure on the takeoff roll	throttle idle, brakes, flaps up; mixture cutoff, mags off, STBY BATT and MASTER off
engine failure right after takeoff	70 KIAS flaps up / 65 flaps down, land straight ahead; mixture cutoff, fuel shutoff off, mags off, flaps as needed (full recommended), STBY BATT and MASTER off, door unlatched
engine failure in flight	68 KIAS, pick a field; fuel shutoff on, selector BOTH, fuel pump on, mixture rich, mags BOTH (START if the prop stopped); fuel pump off once it runs (back on if fuel flow drops to zero)
forced landing, no power	seats upright, belts; 70 flaps up / 65 flaps down; mixture, fuel shutoff and mags off; flaps full when the field is made; MASTER off when landing is sure; doors unlatched; touch down tail low, brake hard
engine fire in flight	mixture cutoff, fuel shutoff off, fuel pump off, MASTER off, cabin heat and air off, 100 KIAS (faster if the fire keeps burning), forced landing
electrical fire in flight	STBY BATT and MASTER off, vents and heat closed, extinguisher, AVIONICS and all switches but the mags off; open vents once it's out
HIGH VOLTS, or battery charging over 40 A	MASTER ALT half off; shed load (AVIONICS BUS 1, pitot heat, lights, 12 V power); tune COM1/NAV1 first, then AVIONICS BUS 2 off (keep it on in cloud); land as soon as practical
LOW VOLTS at cruise RPM	MASTER ALT off, ALT FIELD breaker in, MASTER back on; if it stays lit: ALT off, shed load as above, land as soon as practical. The standby battery powers the essential bus for at least 30 min.
LOW VOLTS at idle	normal below 1,000 RPM; check it goes out at 1,000 RPM

Memory items: best glide 68 KIAS · failure after takeoff 70/65 · fire: mixture cutoff, fuel off, master off · squawk 7700 (emergency code). Calls: emergencies and lost comms.

Sim quirks

Quirk	Status
G1000 NXi by Working Title follows the real unit closely; the Garmin Nav III guide applies to most pages	by design
`Ctrl+E` auto-start left the fuel selector in the wrong position	fixed in SU2
walkaround at the start of Free Flight; an option to skip it	option added in SU6
auto-mixture assist leans for you and hides mixture mistakes	turn it off to fly the POH leaning
aircraft spawns with flaps at 10°	(reported)
heading bug jumps 10° at a time when the knob turns fast	(reported); turn slowly for 1° steps
missing own-ship symbol on the MFD map	(reported) at launch
no engine sound after start, now and then	(reported)
standby battery test and bus voltages may not behave exactly like the POH	not verified

Recipes

Cold and dark to takeoff

The whole POH flow in one pass for a VFR departure.

Parking brake set, breakers in, AVIONICS off, selector BOTH, fuel shutoff in.
Throttle ¼ inch, mixture cutoff, STBY BATT test → ARM, MASTER on, beacon on.
Cold engine: fuel pump on, mixture rich 3–5 s, cutoff, pump off.
MAGNETOS START, mixture rich, oil pressure green, AVIONICS on, nav lights.
ATIS, BARO, ground frequency, transponder code, flight plan. Taxi with a brake check.
Run-up: controls, instruments, trim, 1,800 RPM mag check, idle check, flaps 10°, strobes, lights.
Line up: full power, 55 KIAS rotate, 70–80 KIAS climb, flaps up at a safe height.

Pattern work

Circuits at a towered or untowered field (vfr-towered, vfr-untowered). Power settings are typical, not from the POH.

Point	Configuration
crosswind turn	about 300 ft below pattern altitude, still climbing at 74–80 KIAS
downwind	pattern altitude (often 1,000 ft AGL), about 2,200–2,400 RPM, 90–100 KIAS
abeam the numbers	power back to about 1,500–1,700 RPM, flaps 10° below 110, 75–80 KIAS
base	flaps 20°, 70 KIAS
final	flaps full, 60–70 KIAS, aim at the numbers
touch-and-go	flaps up (or 10°), carb heat not needed (fuel injected), full power, rotate 55

Quick IFR setup

From the EFB to an engaged autopilot.

EFB plan → SEND TO AVIONICS AND ATC. FPL page: check the SID, route and approach.
PFD: BARO set, ALT SEL to the initial altitude, HDG bug on the runway heading, CDI GPS.
Clearance from ATC (ifr-departure), squawk set.
After takeoff, above 1,000 ft AGL: HDG (or NAV), FLC 80 KIAS, AP.
Enroute: NAV + ALT. Before descent: PROC → load the approach, ALT SEL lower, VS or VNV.

Check the sim against the POH

To see whether your build matches the book.

4,000 ft AGL, standard weather, 2,550 lb, no assists.
Power idle, flaps up, slow 1 kt per second: note the stall (POH green arc bottom: 48 KIAS).
Repeat with flaps full (white arc bottom: 40 KIAS).
Best glide at 68 KIAS: note the fpm and compare runs across sim updates.

References

Cessna 172S Nav III GFC 700 AFCS Information Manual, original issue 20 December 2007 (POH/AFM 172SPHBUS-00), copy hosted by Wayman Aviation (opens in a new tab): sections 2 to 5 for every speed, flow and performance number
FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 3A12, section XII Model 172S: read in Rev. 80; the current revision is Rev. 88 on FAA DRS (opens in a new tab). Engine, airspeed limits, weights, fuel
Textron Aviation: Cessna Skyhawk (opens in a new tab): current specs and G1000 NXi
Garmin G1000 NXi Cockpit Reference Guide, Cessna Nav III (opens in a new tab): softkeys, knobs, autopilot modes
MSFS avionics docs: G1000 package (opens in a new tab): the sim G1000 reproduces the G1000 NXi
MSFS Sim Update 2 release notes (opens in a new tab) and Sim Update 6 release notes (opens in a new tab)
MSFS forum: MSFS2024 Cessna 172 Skyhawk feedback (opens in a new tab): source of the "(reported)" quirks
AC 90-66C: Non-towered airport flight operations (opens in a new tab): pattern altitude and entry

The 2007 POH lists a 1,663 lb standard empty weight and a 895 lb max useful load. Textron's current spec sheet says 878 lb, because today's G1000 NXi airplanes carry more standard equipment. ↩
POH section 1 lists stall speeds as 53 KCAS flaps up and 48 KCAS flaps full (calibrated airspeed). The arcs on the airspeed indicator, 48 and 40, are the same stalls in KIAS. At low speed the 172's indicated airspeed reads well below calibrated. ↩ ↩²
TCDS 3A12 lists one flap-extended speed, 85 KIAS. The POH adds 110 KIAS for flaps 10° only. Both come from Cessna. Use 110 for flaps 10° and 85 for anything more. ↩