General Aviation Giants: Beechcraft Bonanza A36 and Cessna 172

What is general aviation?

According to AOPA, general aviation, simply put, “refers to all topics related to flying for private citizens, outside of commercial air service.” All non-scheduled, non-military civilian flight operations fall under this category, including agricultural aviation, law enforcement and firefighting, overnight delivery, sightseeing, traffic and news reporting, search and rescue, medical transportation, and business and personal flights, among many others.

MotoArt celebrates the wide diversity of these roles in general aviation, and the more than 500,000 pilots who fly them. The newest category of PlaneTags is General Aviation and our newest PlaneTags are two of the most popular single engine personal aircraft. Take a closer look at our Beechcraft Bonanza A36 PlaneTags and Cessna 172 PlaneTags, then add one to your collection.

The Beechcraft Bonanza A36

The Bonanza is a single-engine, six seater aircraft which was first introduced in 1947 by Beech Aircraft Corporation and has been in continuous production longer than any other aircraft in history. Over 17,000 Bonanzas in all variants have been built, and over the years and variations its design has been perfected into a reliable and durable aircraft. The A36 was built between 1970 and 2005, with 2,128 produced, and boasted improvements in the fuel system and interior, among other features. Today’s G36, introduced in 2006, is an update of the A36, featuring a glass cockpit and Garmin G1000 integrated flight instrument system.

A Beechcraft Bonanza for MotoArt

When MotoArt owner Dave Hall received a message that there was a Beechcraft Bonanza A36 available he felt it was a great opportunity to start the General Aviation category the team had been thinking about for the past several months. “The Bonanza is such an important part of the general aviation history that this one seemed like a great plane to start our collection with,” says Hall. “Plus the way it all came about was pretty cool too.”

Who is Landon Cain?

Landon Cain is a long-time fan of aviation hailing from Scottsdale, Arizona. His love of planes comes naturally - he comes from a long line of aviation enthusiasts who instilled this passion in him since birth. He and his father bought a wrecked Beechcraft Bonanza A36, N6678D, from Arizona Air Salvage in Phoenix with the idea to make it into a treehouse or yard art for Landon. It sat in his backyard for a few years, waiting to fulfill its next role, when he got another idea for it. It had some great color combinations, he says, and he knew others would appreciate A36 PlaneTags just as much as he would. He contacted MotoArt and made arrangements with Dave Hall to take a look at it and possibly acquire it.

“I got there, completely expecting to meet the gentleman I’ve been dealing with this whole time” explained Hall. It turned out that Landon was a student and at 16 years, much younger than Hall expected. “Landon is an amazing guy. I admire his knowledge and passion for aviation and I can’t wait to see what he does in the future,” says Hall. Hall was privileged to meet Landon’s family and get to know them better. Together they packed up the A36 and sent it on its way to the next stop in its journey. It was an experience that Hall says he will never forget.

“I absolutely love PlaneTags because you guys go out there and preserve awesome planes instead of them being crunched up for scrap metal. I also like the different stories from all of the planes you have made PlaneTags out of. My personal favorite is probably the Nine O Nine tag.” - Landon Cain, aviation enthusiast.

 

Landon’s own collection of PlaneTags inspired him to contact MotoArt. He has expanded his collection over the past few months and is looking forward to adding PlaneTags from his old Bonanza A36.

Photos courtesy of Landon Cain, used with permission.

Beechcraft Bonanza A36 PlaneTags

Our newest PlaneTags are made from N6678D, an A36 built in 1980. In 2016, it was involved in an accident when it aborted takeoff and was unable to stop before the end of the runway. It was later purchased from a salvage company by Landon Cain, then acquired by MotoArt in 2020.

The PlaneTags are numbered to 1,500 and are available in the following colors: white, blue, wine, yellow, and cream and some combinations.

The Cessna 172

The new Cessna 172 was featured on the cover of the December 1955 issue of FLYING. (Ziff-Davis Publications) - Thank you Rob Schneider.

The Beechcraft Bonanza can always be found in the lists of top single-engine planes, but our other new general aircraft PlaneTags come from a plane that is also a list topper. The Cessna 172 was first produced in 1956, and since then more than 43,000 172’s, in something like 20 variations, have been built, making it the most sold, most widely flown airplane ever. Although the 172 and the Skyhawk names are mostly synonymous now, the name Skyhawk wasn’t used until late 1960 as Cessna was developing the 1961 model, with a deluxe option called the Skyhawk.

Its success stems from its safety record, its versatility in serving in many types of roles, its affordability in the cost of the plane itself and in operating it, and its ease of flying. Indeed, generations of pilots all over the world have learned to fly in a 172. The tricycle landing gear configuration and its reliable flight characteristics, as well as its stability have made it the choice of flight schools for instruction.

Cessna 172 PlaneTags

Our new Cessna PlaneTags are made from N6922A, which was built in 1956, the first year the 172 was produced. It was being used in flight instruction when on January 31, 2011 it was involved in an accident which resulted in substantial damage. MotoArt acquired it in 2020. “As part of our quest to catalogue the greatest aircraft, the Cessna 172 is high on our list,” says Dave Hall. “This was one of the first models produced and the beginning of a lasting legacy. We’re so glad to have this one in our new collection.” Our 172 PlaneTags are numbered to 1,500 and will be available in red and white, as well as combinations.

Gift for a Pilot

Buying a Beechcraft or Cessna PlaneTag for your favorite pilot or even for yourself? Add engraving to the back and make it personal. Customize it the way you want it - name and address for a luggage tag OR personalize it with your own sentiments. PlaneTags, especially a Cessna 172, make amazing pilot gifts.

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