.Jerrie Mock was nicknamed 'the flying housewife' 

 

Mock completed 23,103-mile flight in 29 days 11 hours 59 minutes, finishing her journey by landing at Port Columbus Airport, Ohio. Not only that, this little pilot, also a mother of a 17, 16, and 4-year-old, undertook the flight in a 1953 Cessna 180 single-engine monoplane named the Spirit of Columbus. 

Jerrie was only five-years-old when she took her first flight, and realised that she loved the experience. To further her interests, she studied aeronautical engineering at Ohio State University.  
 

 

She put her ambition to fly on hold and married Russel Mock in 1945 after which she started her family. However, she never gave up on her dreams. She resumed flying lessons in 1956 and received her private pilot certificate in 1958. By 1962, she completed over 700 flight hours, but lacked over-water experience. 

One random day, Mock’s husband jokingly suggested that she flies around the globe. Fortunately, she took it seriously. She started planning for this journey in 1962. 

It took her 15 months to prepare 

She installed a new 225 h.p. engine in her plane, along with twin radio direction finders, dual short-range radios, a long-range radio, and a new compass. Additionally, two ferry tanks were put in place of the passenger seats inside the cabin, bringing 178 gallons of fuel on board. She was prepared for 25 hours of flight time and a range of 2400 nautical miles. 
 

 

Mock left Ohio on March 19, 1964. The trip was not an easy one. She flew through bad weather and suffered brake failure. She also witnessed radio transmission problems over Bermuda, the Azores, northern Africa, while passing through the Middle East, India, the islands of Guam, Wake, Hawaii and finally to Oakland, California before coming back to Columbus, Ohio.

Jerrie went on to become an example for many. She set a number of flight records- first woman to fly across both the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean.  

Mock passed away in 2014. 

Today, Jerrie Mock remains a forgotten name and her story an unheard one. Yet, we’re glad that she did something out-of-box and became an inspiration to women the world over!  

 

According to indiatimes.com

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