 On 13 October 2006, nine months after launching the program, the concept prototype aircraft, registered N158CS, first flew, departing McConnell Air Force Base for Wichita's Mid-Continent Airport and reaching a speed of .Cessna formally launched the Skycatcher program 10 July 2007, following with a press event on 22 July 2007 at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh  that unveiled a full-scale mockup and details about the planned production version.The conforming prototype had its first flight on 8 March 2008 and the first initial production configuration aircraft flew on 5 May 2008.