Who is Jerrie Mock?
Jerrie Mock, a small-town girl from Ohio had three dreams in life.
1. To fly around the world.
2. To ride an elephant.
3. To ride a camel in the desert.
She accomplished 2 of the 3, which she once told me she felt was pretty good for being “just” a woman. (Note the sarcasm.) Jerrie, my grandmother, was a feisty, determined woman with big dreams and the moxie to accomplish them, despite sexism, financial limitations, and other challenges.
In 1964, despite being a pilot for only 7 years with less than a thousand flight hours and having never flown over an ocean before, Jerrie took off for Bermuda and the world. 29 and a 1/2 days later, she landed back at the airport in Columbus, Ohio, becoming the first woman to fly around the world.
Jerrie Mock Projects
I, Jerrie’s granddaughter, Rita Mock-Pike, am in the process of producing a range of storytelling platforms on Jerrie Mock’s stories from her various world travels, adventures, world records, air races, and more. From personal appearances to a one-woman show, from a podcast – featuring some sound bytes from Jerrie herself – to a cookbook and children’s book for early readers, there’s lots to come. As dates, events, and information are available, they’ll be posted here.
Rita Mock-Pike 