Jerrie Mock, a 38-year old mother of three, flew her Cessna 180 light airplane down runway in March 1964 to fulfill a long-held dream.
The woman, who became America’s Flying Housewife after flying 22860 miles and 29 days, landed in Columbus, Ohio to the astonishment of a large crowd.
She had become the first woman in history to fly solo around the world – beating her younger rival Joan Merriman Smith, who had opted to fly the longer route planned by aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart on her ultimately doomed attempt.
When she returned, Jerrie – who had worn a skirt and blouse while flying and put on high heels after landing – was honoured with an award at the White House by the then President Lyndon Johnson.
Zara Rutherford (a 19-year old British-Belgian girl) was inspired by her feat and became the youngest female solo pilot around the globe.
She flew in her Shark UL ultralight Microlight microlight for 155 days, after being stranded in Russia 41 days prior.
Jerrie was an Ohio State University student in aeronautical engineering. He died October 1, 2014 at the age of 88.
Jerrie, 38 years old and mother to three children, was living a dream when she flew her Cessna 180 light airplane down the runway for her round-the world trip. Nineteen days later and 22,860 miles later the American ‘Flying Housewife” landed in Columbus, Ohio to cheering crowds.
Jerrie achieved the feat with her Cessna 180, 11-year old. It’s now displayed at Virginia’s Steven F Udvar-Hazy Center.
Russell, a husband of the housewife, suggested that she take her own flight.
Wiley Post was the first person to solo fly around the globe, and he did so in 1933.
Joan, eager to receive recognition for her accomplishment, filed the paperwork in order to claim the world-record if she succeeded.
A few weeks later, Joan Merriam Smith – who had thousands of hours of flying under her belt, rather than Jerrie’s 750 – filed her own paperwork.
Jerrie was the first person to submit the paperwork, so Jerrie had to complete the flight in order to obtain the record.
When she returned, Jerrie – who had worn a skirt and blouse while flying and put on high heels after landing – was honoured with an award at the White House by the then President Lyndon Johnson
Zara Rutherford (a 19-year old British-Belgian girl) was inspired by her feat and became the youngest female solo pilot around the globe.
Zara Rutherford (a 19-year old British-Belgian girl) was inspired by her feat and became the youngest female solo pilot around the globe.
Jerrie flew in her Cessna plane aged 11 from Ohio’s Por Ohio airport, two weeks before she was expected to. She named it Charlie.
She had had new radio equipment fitted to the plane and any unnecessary fixtures had to be removed so that the additional fuel tanks – needed so the aircraft could fly over the open ocean – would fit.
She had 21 stops ahead of her with the first leg to Bermuda.
Jerrie’s grand-daughter Rita MockPike, writing in 2020, revealed that as her grandmother left Columbus, she heard Rita MockPike, an air traffic controller, say that Rita was the last of them.
Ms. Mock-Pike is reported to have heard Jerrie say to Ms. Mock-Pike, “I wasn’t completely sure he was right.”
“I’d never been over open water.” It was my goal to fly around the globe. But, hey! I achieved two of my three long-held dreams. It’s quite an accomplishment for someone who is ‘just’ woman.
Jerrie reached Bermuda after he was successful and made the 2,000-mile jump to the Azores, in the North Atlantic.
The first issue was ice on her wings.
Later she stated that: “When I studied, it was said to me not to enter icing conditions without a de-icer.” That was what I did and it was all I could do.
After Jerrie’s flight above the clouds, however, the ice had melted.
She could have been in grave trouble if she made a mistake later. When she arrived in Egypt, she believed that she was at Cairo’s airport. However, the plane had actually touched down at an army base.
The men referred her to the correct airport.
Following landing in Dhahran (Saudi Arabia), soldiers appeared again to search the plane.
Jerrie said, “They believed I had a man hiding behind the gas tank.” The soldiers cheered Jerrie when they couldn’t find any man.
Jerrie had to deal with a burning wire that she saw while flying. It could have been fatal if the cockpit was filled with more fuel. It was fortunate that she could put it out.
Russell, a husband of the housewife, suggested that Jerrie take her first flight. Above: Jerrie standing in front of her plane
Joan, eager to receive the accolades for her achievement, filed the paperwork in order to become a world record holder. A few weeks later, Joan Merriam Smith (pictured) – who had thousands of hours of flying under her belt, rather than Jerrie’s 750 – filed her own paperwork
Jerrie, an 11-year-old Cessna aircraft pilot named Charlie took off two weeks early from Ohio’s Por Ohio Airport.
She had had new radio equipment fitted to the plane and any unnecessary fixtures had to be removed so that the additional fuel tanks – needed so the aircraft could fly over the open ocean – would fit
Jerrie’s granddaughter Rita MockPike shared her story in 2020. Rita wrote that as her grandmother left Columbus, she heard Rita Mock-Pike, an air traffic controller, say, “Well, I guess that is the last time we see her.”
After completing her flight, Jerrie was seen sipping champagne with her dad. Jerrie appears rightly happy
Jerrie returned home from her lavish reception to find that she beat her opponent, who was having mechanical issues.
Jerrie received the Federal Aviation Administration’s Exceptional Service decoration after being invited to visit the White House.
She set many speed records and eventually quit flying to save money.
Her family reported that Jerrie passed away in her sleep in Quincy Florida. She had been in poor health for many months.
Port Columbus Airport unveiled a bronze statue of Jerrie holding an actual globe on the 50th Anniversary of her final flight, just months prior to her death.
Although Ms Rutherford had hoped to fly in her Shark microlight for three months, she was unable to due to visa problems and persistent bad weather that kept her from flying for weeks.
Rain, drizzle, sun, and even a rainbow poured over Kortrijk’s airport on Thursday. This was just a few of the many weather conditions she has been dealing with.
She flew by the airport after being escorted in a formation of four planes, forming a large V over much of Belgium.
Jerrie was greeted by her family upon her return to home. She had defeated her opponent, who suffered from mechanical difficulties. Above: Jerrie is welcomed at the airport by residents
Jerrie McKinney, the first woman to fly all around the globe, is surrounded by journalists as she stands next to her plane, “The Spirit of Columbus”, upon landing at Cairo, Egypt.
After wavering to the cheering crowds she hugged her parents and wore the Union Jack as well as the Belgian tricolor flag.
She said that winter in Europe presents a lot challenges as she was kept back from the final leg of her trip for several days. Then, there was the fact that she had to cope with temperatures as low as -31 F (Siberia) and as high at 90 F (Indonesia). Her back was also hampered by fog and smoke from wildfires or typhoons.
In her journey that covered more than 32,000 miles, she stopped on five continents. She visited 52 countries.
She stated, “The people were unbelievable, everywhere.”
Rutherford was able to steer clear of California wildfires, avoid Russia’s bitter winter and barely escape North Korean airspace.
Visual Flight Rules was her flying method. This meant she flew on sight, sometimes slowing down progress as more advanced systems might have helped her navigate through the fog or clouds.
According to her, it’s strange that she’s back in the United States. She also said she enjoyed coming home after such a lengthy journey, which took in almost 30 different countries.
She laughed and said, “I’d love to do absolutely nothing next week.” “It was much harder than I expected.”
Jerrie, pictured in the later years, died at home in Quincy (Florida) after suffering from failing health for several months. Her family stated that she was in her final days.