Born without arms, Jessica Cox will relate her experiences as the first armless woman pilot and world-traveling inspirational speaker during a presentation to the Sun Lakes Aero Club Monday, January 18 at the Sun Lakes Country Club.
Gary Vacin
The first armless woman to earn a pilot’s license will be the featured speaker at the Sun Lakes Aero Club (SLAC) gathering Monday, January 18 at the Sun Lakes Country Club Mirror Room. Open to the public, the event begins at 6:30 p.m. with coffee and camaraderie followed by the presentation at 7:00 p.m.
Born without arms, Jessica Cox had a lifetime fear of flying but took a ride in a Cessna 172 in 2005. “That experience changed my life,” she said. “I set a goal right then and there that I was going to become a pilot.”
She set a Guinness world record in 2008 when she earned her sports pilot certificate in an Ercoupe 415C at the San Manuel airport in Arizona. This aircraft has no rudder pedals and can be controlled by a single yoke. Sitting cross-legged in the Ercoupe’s cockpit, she works the throttle with her left foot and the control yoke with her right foot.
Being armless hasn’t stopped Cox from doing with her feet what most people do with their hands. She can drive a car, type 30 words per minute, swim, scuba dive, play piano and even change her contact lens. She earned a degree in psychology from the University of Arizona and has two black belts in TaeKwonDo.
She met her future husband, Patrick Chamberlain, in 2010 through their mutual love of martial arts. They were married in 2012. Today they travel the world with Cox giving inspirational presentations and Mark acting as her manager and helping her with the media.
Additional information on Jessica Cox is available on her website at www.rightfooted.com.
SLAC is an official Sun Lakes organization made up of pilots, former pilots and others having any interest in aviation. The club sponsors monthly gatherings as well as fly-ins and field trips November through April. You can access SLAC’s website at www.sunlakesaeroclub.com, contact Bob Walch at 895-8869 or Gary Vacin at 298-7017 for additional information.