Today I was checked out to fly the Cessna 172P. It’s older than the 172SP airplanes I have been flying, and it has a carburetor instead of a fuel injection system, which requires an understanding of carburetor icing and how to prevent it. Starting the engine is also different than the SP, but simpler. The checkout went pretty well; the instructor had me do a short field takeoff from Hillsboro, perform some steep turns in the west practice area, maneuver in slow flight, and divert to Sportsman airport (2S6) in Newberg. After a full stop in Newberg we climbed to 3,500 and performed 2 power-off stalls and 2 power-on stalls, then headed back to Hillsboro for a simulated engine failure and another landing. The P model is $17/hour cheaper than the SP, so it should reduce the cost of flying a bit.
