Geraldine “Jerrie” Mock, the first woman to successfully fly solo around the world has died at the age of 88. She was living in Florida but was a native of Newark, New Jersey when she made her famous flight. The flight which lasted five weeks was in a 1953 Cessna 180 single-engine she had nicknamed “Charlie”. Mock received the Federal Aviation Administration Gold Medal for Exceptional Service from President Lyndon B. Johnson. Her plane, the Spirit of Columbus, was displayed in the National Air and Space Museum.
This year marked the 50th Anniversary of that event and in honour of her achievement, this April, a statue of Mock was dedicated at Port Columbus International Airport in Newark.
Mock wrote a book about her experiences in 1979 called “Three-eight Charlie”.
For more about Jerrie Mock and her adventures check out the Smithsonian’s article.