Mock departed Port Columbus Airport in her Cessna 180 'Spirit of Columbus,' beginning her attempt to become the first woman to fly solo around the world.
On March 19, 1964, Jerrie Mock climbed into the cockpit of her single-engine Cessna 180, nicknamed the "Spirit of Columbus," and took off from Port Columbus Airport in Columbus, Ohio. This departure marked the beginning of an audacious attempt to become the first woman to fly solo around the world, a feat that had eluded aviators since Amelia Earhart's ill-fated attempt in 1937.
At the time, Mock was a 38-year-old mother of three and a licensed pilot with a private pilot's certificate, but she was far from a professional aviator by the standards of the era's record-setters. Her aircraft was modified with extra fuel tanks and navigation equipment to handle the long overwater legs of the journey, particularly across the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
The flight was as much a test of grit and self-reliance as of technical skill; Mock would navigate using dead reckoning and radio beacons, facing mechanical issues, weather delays, and the immense psychological pressure of flying alone over vast stretches of open ocean and unfamiliar territory.
This departure represents a pivotal moment in aviation history, as it set in motion a journey that would ultimately span 21 stopovers and nearly a month in the air, ending with Mock's triumphant return and her recognition as the first woman to circle the globe solo by air.