R.I.P N1537U, Thanks for the memories.

This post has been a few months in the making. This is the story of the Cessna 172 that I earned my pilot’s certificate in. To say she was a good bird is an understatement. I will always look back into my logbook and remember the 40 or so hours I had flown this aircraft with fondness. She was a 1976 172M model. good bones and good paint, average panel. She was a looker and a great flier. After some research, I discovered that she did the daily traffic reports in our area for almost a decade, before the traffic cams became prevalent.  She had just recently received a new engine and was due for her first regularly scheduled oil change before her last flight on August 23, 2018. On this date, she impacted terrain at New Kent County Airport (W96) in Quinton, Virginia. She was doing what she was built to do, training new pilots. The good news is that the Student pilot who was at the controls was not killed, although he was seriously injured. Myself and the roughly 200 pilots that you made aviators are sad to see you go and are grateful for the lessons you tought us!