The first female pilot to fly solo around the world has died.
Jerrie Mock was 88 years old. Mock's grandson, Chris Flocken, says she died yesterday at her home in Quincy, Florida, after being in failing health for months. Mock flew her single-engine Cessna 180 "Spirit of Columbus" 23,000 miles in 29-plus days before landing in Ohio's capital city on April 17, 1964. Dubbed "the flying housewife" at the time because she had three children, the native of Newark, Ohio, was an experienced pilot who studied aeronautical engineering at Ohio State University. In an interview with CarolAnn Garratt last month, Mock reflected on how her first childhood experience in a small plane inspired her to become a pilot.
City and community leaders in April unveiled a life-sized statue of Mock at Port Columbus, marking the 50-year-anniversary of her historic flight.
