Project Cessna Resurrection

At the beginning of this month, we began work on reassembling a 1963 Cessna C-172D. The owner had recently completed an interior refurbishment with V1 Aircraft Services at KGYH in Greenville, SC. While there, he asked if they could recommend someone to reassemble the aircraft—and Vision Aviation Services was his first recommendation.

After coming to terms with the owner, we immediately got to work on what would become a challenging but exciting project.

This aircraft has a fascinating history. It originally belonged to the current owner's grandfather, who sold it prior to his passing. Years later, the grandson tracked it down, bought it back, and began restoring it. Unfortunately, the project became more of a side task for various mechanics over the years, with little real progress toward making it airworthy. After sitting untouched for 15 years, it’s now in our hands—and we’re honored to bring this bird back to life.

One of the first major steps was reattaching the wings, a critical phase involving the reinstallation of wiring and tubing. Although we initially compiled a list of replacement parts, it quickly became clear that additional hardware would be needed. Corrosion and missing pieces—common with an aircraft that’s changed hands and locations so often—have added to the complexity.

Despite the challenges, this is the kind of project we love: hands-on, meaningful, and full of character. It's rewarding for us and, more importantly, it’s going to be incredibly meaningful for the owner once the aircraft is fully restored and flying again.



Stay tuned for further updates as we continue this journey!