Jessica Cox, the world’s first armless pilot, will be guest speaker at the Sun Lakes Aero Club gathering at the Cottonwood Country Club Lecture Hall Nov. 16. Here she is shown in the airplane she learned to fly in, a two-seat Ercoupe. Her presentation will deal with her experiences designing and building a four-place Vans RV-10 aircraft she can fly more easily with her feet.
Gary Vacin
Jessica Cox, the world’s first licensed armless pilot, will be the featured speaker at the Sun Lakes Aero Club gathering Monday, Nov. 16 at the Cottonwood Country Club Lecture Hall. Camaraderie begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by Cox’s presentation at 7 p.m. The public is invited to attend.
Cox also will appear at a fund-raising event Nov. 14 in Mesa hosted to support her mission to build a custom airplane she can fly using her feet.
Cox’s Sun Lakes presentation will center on her effort to build and fly “The Impossible Airplane,” a custom-built airplane designed specifically for her.
In 2008, Cox earned her Sport Pilot Certificate. She learned to fly a 1946 Ercoupe, a two-seater plane and a rare example of an aircraft that does not use rudder pedals—meaning both of her feet can be used to operate the yoke and throttle without having to operate pedals.
Cox said “The Impossible Airplane” will feature modifications, like an updated yoke that will make flying more comfortable for armless pilots. The yoke—kind of like the steering wheel of the airplane—would look like a shoe or a slipper. That will allow Cox to put her foot in there and use her foot to control it, like a custom shoe.
Cox’s presentation will be the first of a series sponsored by the Sun Lakes Aero Club in 2026-27. On Dec. 21, the speaker will be Jocelyn Condon, vice president of the Arizona Aviation Historical Group. She will speak about the early days of Falcon Field Airport in Mesa and the Royal Air Force pilots who trained there during World War II.
The Jan. 18 speaker will be Commemorative Air Force docent Art Vernon, who will discuss fighter plane development and evolution with emphasis on how fighter aircraft evolved from early reconnaissance tools to decisive instruments of air superiority.
Speakers for February and March gatherings will be announced in future Splash articles.
For more information, contact Cannon Hill at 509-539-7857, Gary Vacin at 480-298-7017, or visit the club’s website at sunlakesaeroclub.org.