Jerrie Mock

Jerrie Mock was a pilot.

She loved to fly. She first flew in a plane when she was seven.

Jerrie flew a small plane around the world. She did this trip all by herself. It took her 29 days.

She flew over many lands. She flew over the big ocean too. She even landed in a secret place by mistake.

Her plane had a special name. It was called the Spirit of Columbus.

Many people cheered for her. She was the first woman to fly alone around the world. She was a hero.

Jerrie Mock was a brave pilot from Ohio.

She loved flying from a very young age. At age seven, she flew in a cockpit with her father. Later, she took an engineering class in high school. She was the only girl in that class. This helped her decide that flying was her passion.

In 1964, Jerrie did something amazing. She became the first woman to fly solo around the world. To fly solo means to fly alone without a co-pilot. She flew a single engine plane named the Spirit of Columbus.

The trip took 29 days. She made 21 stops along her way. She flew over places like Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam.

Jerrie faced many new things on her trip. In Egypt, she landed at a secret military base by mistake. In Saudi Arabia, many people were surprised to see a woman pilot. She even won a gold medal from the government.

Her plane is now in a museum for people to see.

Jerrie Mock was a pioneer in the world of flight. She was an American pilot who achieved something very special. In 1964, she became the first woman to fly solo around the world. Flying solo means she flew all by herself without a co-pilot.

This trip was a huge deal for women in aviation. She proved that women could complete very long and difficult journeys. Her success opened doors for many other female pilots to follow.

Her amazing journey began on March 19, 1964. She started her trip at the Port Columbus Airport in Ohio.

She flew a single engine plane called a Cessna 180. The plane had a special name, the Spirit of Columbus. It also had a nickname, "Charlie." She traveled eastbound and made 21 different stopovers. The whole trip lasted 29 days, 11 hours, and 59 minutes. She flew over many places like Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam.

Jerrie's love for planes started when she was a young girl. When she was seven, she sat in a cockpit with her father.

In high school, she took an engineering course. She was the only girl in that entire class. This helped her realize that flying was her true passion. She later went to Ohio State University. She eventually married a man named Russell Mock in 1945.

During her flight, Jerrie saw many interesting things. In Egypt, she accidentally landed at a secret military base. In Saudi Arabia, many people were surprised to see a woman pilot.

Because of her bravery, President Lyndon Johnson gave her a gold medal. She also won the Amelia Earhart Memorial Award in 1964. She set many records for speed and distance in the years after her trip. These records helped cement her place in history.

Today, we remember Jerrie Mock through many honors. Her plane, the Spirit of Columbus, is kept in a museum.

It hangs in the National Air and Space Museum. People can visit it to see the plane that changed history. In her hometown of Newark, Ohio, there is even a large bronze statue of her. Her life shows us how one person can reach for the sky and succeed.

Geraldine "Jerrie" Fredritz Mock was a pioneering American aviator. She became the first woman to complete a solo flight around the world. Flying solo means she operated the aircraft entirely by herself without a co-pilot.

Her historic journey proved that women could master long-distance, complex aviation missions. This achievement helped change the perception of women in the field of flight. Her legacy continues through various awards and museum displays today.

Mock's historic expedition began on March 19, 1964. She departed from the Port Columbus Airport in her hometown of Columbus, Ohio. She piloted a single-engine Cessna 180 Skywagon. This aircraft carried the registration N1538C. She named the plane the "Spirit of Columbus" and nicknamed it "Charlie."

The flight followed an eastbound route across the globe. She made 21 stopovers during the journey. The entire trip lasted exactly 29 days, 11 hours, and 59 minutes. She returned to the same airport in Columbus on April 17, 1964.

The flight involved traveling through many different regions and cultures. Mock flew over countries such as Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam. During her time in Morocco, she stayed in a French home after crossing the Atlantic. In Saudi Arabia, she landed at Dhahran Airport. The local crowds were surprised to see a woman pilot. At that time, women in Saudi Arabia were not permitted to drive cars. In Egypt, she experienced a navigational error. She mistakenly landed at a secret military base instead of the Cairo Airport. While flying over Vietnam, she observed the peaceful view of the landscape from high above.

Mock's interest in aviation began during her childhood in Newark, Ohio. She was born on November 22, 1925. When she was seven years old, she flew in the cockpit of a Ford Trimotor airplane with her father.

This early experience sparked a lifelong passion for flying. In high school, she enrolled in an engineering course. She was the only female student in that class. After graduating from Newark High School in 1943, she attended Ohio State University. She eventually left her studies to marry Russell Mock in 1945.

Her flight was part of a competitive period in aviation history. A race had developed between Mock and another pilot, Joan Merriam Smith. Smith had departed from near San Francisco, California, on March 17, 1964. Smith's flight path followed the same route as the famous aviator Amelia Earhart. Ultimately, Mock finished the journey first. This success led to many official recognitions. On May 4, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson awarded her the Federal Aviation Agency Gold Medal for Exceptional Service.

She also received the Amelia Earhart Memorial Award in 1964.

Following her world flight, Mock set several aeronautical records. In 1965, she achieved a speed of 500 km in Class C1-c on a closed circuit. Between 1966 and 1969, she established multiple women's records. These included records for straight-line distance and speed on recognized courses. Some of these courses included flights between Oakland, California, and Honolulu, or from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Columbus, Ohio. These records covered various classifications, such as Class C1-d. Her technical skill earned her induction into the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame in 1979 and the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2022.

Today, the "Spirit of Columbus" is preserved as a historical treasure. The aircraft hangs in the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution.

In 1970, Mock published her experiences in a book titled "Three-Eight Charlie." The title refers to her aircraft's call sign, N1538C. A 50th anniversary edition of the book includes maps and weather charts. In her hometown of Newark, a life-size bronze sculpture of Mock stands in a museum courtyard. Her life remains a significant example of perseverance in the history of science and technology.