The American pilot Geraldine ‘Jerrie’ Mock was the youngest woman to fly solo.She traveled for about 29 days, 11 hours, and 59 minutes while covering an extensive distance of 23,103 mi (37,180.67 km). Another record of flying across both the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean was also set by her.Before she attempted to fly solo, Amelia Earhart was unsuccessful on her flight in 1937, almost two years before the Second World War. Jerrie Mock wrote the details of her journey around the world in her book, ‘Three Eight Charlie.’ She flew from Ohio, Columbus on a Cessna 180 single-engine monoplane in 1964.She also holds the record of passing out from the Ohio State University as the first female aeronautical engineering student. She further delved into the flying lessons after marrying the pilot Russel Mock. She engaged herself as a female aviator in Piper Tri-Pacer and successfully got her private pilot’s license in 1958. Eventually, she enjoyed practicing her flight lessons with her husband and dreamt of flying alone.Her husband helped her with fundraising for the journey. He, along with his partner AI Baumeister prepared the aircraft Cessna for the long flight. At that time, Jerrie was competing against Joan Merriam Smith, who was also planning to fly following the route of Amelia Earhart. However, Mock never mentioned anything about a race between them.Mock had less flying experience than Joan. With only about 750 hours of flight time and an ample amount of confidence, Mock departed just two days after the departure of Smith for the world flight. That historic day was March 19, and she took off from Ohio eastbound.After traveling for about a month, Mock finally touched down on April 17 at Port Columbus airport. Many people waited for her at the airport and congratulated her. After returning, she received a plethora of titles and awards and was popularly called a flying housewife by many.Keep on reading to find out more inspiring facts about Mock!Are you enjoying the read? Then don’t forget to check out the first flying car 1937 and first quarter moon facts here on Kidadl.How long did it take Jerrie Mock to fly around the world?Jerrie covered a distance of 23,103 mi (37,180.67 km) in about 29 days, 11 hours, and 59 minutes to be exact, after which she landed at the Port Columbus airport on April 17, 1964. She held the aviation records as the first woman to fly solo around the world, the first woman to fly in a single-engine plane worldwide, and the first woman to fly the US-Africa route via North Atlantic.She received countless awards and was one of the only female pilots to receive a life-size bronze sculpture, which is kept in the courtyard of The Works Museum in Newark, Ohio. Renate Burgyan Fackler created it.President Johnson awarded her the Gold Medal from Federal Aviation Agency for exceptional service on May four, 1964. The Louis Bleriot Silver Medal and the Ohio Governor’s award were given to her. She also received plenty of other distinguished awards. A street in Lockbourne, Ohio, is also named after her by the United States Air Force.Her world flight included many places. She flew over Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Vietnam. After traveling for days, she suffered from a hectic flight journey and was greeted by the President of the Aero Club of Morocco.She spent a night in a house in France and reported that she spent that night in utter merriment after days of nightmares. Later, the flying housewife flew to Saudi Arabia and landed at Dhahran Airport, where the men looked at her in bewilderment. People of Saudi were astonished to see the first female pilot. After heading to Vietnam, she reported that although the war was ongoing at that time, everything looked to be at peace from her aircraft in the sky. Mock intentionally avoided flying over unfriendly countries, like Cambodia, with strict military situations.The engine of her aircraft caused her troubles during the flight. With all the problems in mind, the first woman to fly solo flew courageously over the South China Sea and finally landed in Manilla to fix the brakes and antenna of her aircraft. Before flying over the mighty Pacific Ocean, her aircraft, which she fondly referred to as ‘Charlie,’ underwent a 100-hour long inspection. Earlier, Charlie was a part of the general aviation sector, equipped with all kinds of modern instruments and made ready for the historic world flight by Jerrie’s husband.What did Geraldine Mock do?Geraldine Mock was the first woman to fly solo over the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. She was also the youngest woman to receive the Federal Aviation Agency gold medal for exceptional service on May four, 1964.She took off from Wake Island in Ohio and flew over Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Vietnam, where the largest war was ongoing since the Second World War. She crossed about 2300 mi (3701 km) over the ocean and reached Oakland, California, after traveling for more than 15 hours straight. She traveled over Tucson and finally took off for home via Texas and Kentucky. The Governor and FAA administrator, Najeeb Halaby, welcomed her at Port Columbus along with hundreds of other people who gathered at the airport to greet her. She was one of the only female pilots to receive the Ohio Governor’s Award, along with multitudes of other awards. The US Air Force honored her for her bravery to fly alone around the globe. Her courage and amazing flying skills greatly inspired the youth.Did Jerrie Mock have siblings?Mock had a younger sister named Susan Reid. Susan modeled for the bronze statue of Mock, which was sculpted by Renate Burgyan Fackler and kept in The Works Museum in Newark, Ohio.Susan wore Jerrie’s sweater, knit skirt, and leather shoes and posed for the sculpture. Along with her sister, Jerrie’s family also included her three children and her husband. At the age of seven, this pioneering lady developed her interest in becoming one of the distinguished female pilots. Her first flight was in a Ford Trimotor along with her father, when they had the opportunity to sit in the aircraft’s cockpit.Jerrie penned down her entire journey in her book, ‘Three-Eight Charlie,’ published in 1970. Her race with Smith, which she never agreed upon, was written in detail along with stories of her flight across the globe by Taylor Phillips in the book ‘Racing to Greet the Sun.‘Where was Geraldine Mock born?The first woman who journeyed across the globe with immense flying skills and courage was born in Newark, Ohio, in the United States. She was born on November 22, 1925, and started her solo trip on March 19, 1964, in her aircraft, the ‘Spirit of Columbus,’ which she fondly called ‘Charlie.‘Her paternal grandparents were of German origin. Jerrie showcased an immense interest in studying engineering and aeronautics. Her interest in becoming a pilot first grew when she and her father had the opportunity to be present in the cockpit of the notorious Ford Trimotor airplane. She was the first woman and also the only woman at that time to take up an engineering course in her college.After graduating from Newark High School in the year 1943, she pursued her education in aeronautics engineering from Ohio State University. From there, she met her husband, Russel Mock, for the first time, and afterward, she married him in 1945. This marriage further rooted her interest in flying solo. She accompanied her husband on solo flights and enjoyed listening to other pilots on the radio. Russel arranged for all the fundings required to develop her aircraft. He also encouraged her to beat Smith in becoming the first woman to fly solo across the globe.She was also the first woman in entire America to earn the Louis Bleriot Silver Medal by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. She became the number one Sports Woman of the year 1969. Also, She received the Women’s Aero Association of Wichita Award, Columbus Transportation Club Special Award, and the Milestones in Manned Flight Trophy by Trans World Airlines.Her aircraft, ‘Spirit of Columbus,’ is present in Virginia at the Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum. Jerrie flew to Virginia to view her dearest Charlie after a long time in June 2007. She was profoundly pleased to see her aircraft on display.Before her death on September 30, 2014, she resided in the city of Quincy in Florida.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! 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The American pilot Geraldine ‘Jerrie’ Mock was the youngest woman to fly solo.
