The International Cessna 170 Association

Did Cessna ever give the 170 a name...as they did with the 172 Skyhawk?

Businessliner

Holy dead thread, Batman. This one took some digging!

Wichita Airport Surprise

Business travel to Cessna headquarters in 1974.

Surprised to see model display located at main airport.
Scale models of main Cessna airplanes produced.

There it was .... a C170 model with the name " Business Liner" on the fuselage side.

Unique single engine four passenger all metal light airplane sometimes attributed to convincing the businessman to start flying.

1974

The "Businessliner" moniker was applied not to the 170 singularly. It was also applied to the 190/195 series and others. The "Family Car of the Air" was also promoted in some literature. But the typical marketing-strategy of using names like "Skyhawk" was not used until the 172 series.

I don't believe the name Skyhawk got hung on 172's until after 1956. I have heard them referred to as Chicken Hawks

I believe the Skyhawk name began in the early 60's and began as an optional accessory package. I've got a '63 C172 and it is not a Skyhawk. It began life as a bare bones C172. I believe it was in the late 60's or early 70's the Skyhawk name became common and the upgraded version was called Skyhawk II.

Yea, early 172’s were like early 170’s (48 model), just 172, no alphabet. When the II was added it denotes an upgraded avionics option I believe.

The 1962 C-172 Owner's Manual, inside cover specifications page, provides the data on two models 172 for 1962. The "upscale" (more options) version is referred to as the "Skyhawk" while the basic airplane was not.

So who here has ever replied "Cessna Businessliner" when ATC requests your type designation?

I double-dog dare you to try it!

rydfly wrote:So who here has ever replied "Cessna Businessliner" when ATC requests your type designation?

I double-dog dare you to try it!

When I moved out in the country west of Austin onto a grass strip with my C-206 and did a lot of night departures/arrivals the local sheriff apparently checked me out to see what kind of "business" I was into. (His background check apparently informed him of certs for Class-3 weapons.)
One night about 2AM I had a Blackhawk hovering over my front yard with a spotlight trained on my airplane, and when I went out to see about it in my pajamas and flip-flops it landed and I was met by three SWAT-gear-dressed types. Turned out one of them was a former co-pilot and QB-brother whose father was FAA inspector/fellow-QB also. We'd both been initiated the same night!
The rest of the crew quickly became disappointed and bored with reunion back-slapping and wanted to get back to their hangar at SJT.

Cessna also called some 402s the Businessliner.