From today's newspaper (april 17):
"In 1964, Geraldine "Jerrie" Mock became the first woman to complete a solo airplane trip around the world as she returned to Columbus Ohio after 29-1/2 days in her Cessna 180."

That would still be a big accomplishment today, but 62 years ago it was one hell of an accomplishment for a man-- let alone a woman. In 1964, women were expected to be housewives and stay-at-home moms, and just having a job outside the home was a big deal. A solo trip around the world-- wow! Way to go Jerrie Mock!

BTW her trusty 1953 Cessna 180 N1538C, aka "The Spirit of Columbus", hangs in the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum annex in Chantilly VA. She wrote a book about her adventure, "Three Eight Charlie". She also went on to set a number of aviation cross-country records. Here's a link to a pretty good webpage about Jerrie Mock.
https://airandspace.si.edu/explore-and- ... n/mock.cfm

Good post and summary of her flying career. Wish the article told a little more but, good reading

Hawk

Quite an achievement, and more evidence that a Cessna 180 is a damn fine ship.

They're a fine ship indeed!
I read Jerrie Mock's book "Three Eight Charlie", and while it was a good read, she was intent on setting a time record -- in fact, there was another woman attempting the same around-the-world flight but using a different route, so the main thing was to beat her. So the book mentioned little about local stuff. Mostly what I remember was multiple incidents of losing her lunch-- not puking, but having her box lunch fall off the pile of stuff next to her and down into some inaccessible place!

A better read is "Our Flight To Adventure" by Tay Thomas, about her & husband Lowell Thomas Jr's 1954/55 trip around Europe, Africa, and the middle east in their trusty Cessna 180. Lots of local color- cannibals, pygmies, sheiks, etc.

Hawk:

Both books are available on the usual amazon.
Not cheap, but then history always comes with a price.
Some temptations are worth the prize.
Kindle version also but not my style.

Three-Eight Charlie and The Jerrie Mock Story.
Trim

I've read the book and visited the plane at the museum. This was particularly interesting because her airplane was so close in serial number and registration to my previous 180. I always used to joke with friends that my airplane was older than hers hanging in a museum. That adventure certainly was a feat.

Other events on April 18th:

Doolittle Raiders launched for destiny. We all owe them.

San Francisco earthquake.


--Bill

Trimtab wrote: Hawk: Both books are available on the usual amazon.
Not cheap, but then history always comes with a price...

I've had good luck getting rather esoteric books at the local library, often through an inter-library loan when they don't have it themselves. I've only very rarely struck out, on both aviation books or gun books.