TitleMrs.
Name:Geraldine "Jerrie" Fredritz
Surname:Mock
Nationality:USA  USA
Date of Birth:1925
Function:Other
 
Biography:
Jerrie Mock was the manager of Colombus Airport in Ohio. She had married Russell Mock in 1945 and had three children. In 1962 she complained to her husband of having nothing interesting to occupy her and expressed her wish to fly somewhere. Almost as a joke, Russell replied, "Why don't you fly round-the-world?" Jerrie took him at his word, and after studying an atlas, she commenced to plan a flight round-the-world. With only 500 flying hours at this time, she continued to earn her Instrument Rating so she could fly in all weather conditions (Instrument Flight Rules-IFR). By the time she was ready, she had logged 750 hours. Russell Mock and his friend, Al Baumeister purchased a Cessna-180 and named it the "Spirit of Columbus." They added two custom ferry fuel tanks inside the cabin and outfitted the cabin with personal equipment and survival gear. With on-board fuel of 178 gallons, she could fly 25 hours with a range of 2,400 miles. On March 19, 1964, Mock departed from Columbus on her history-making solo flight. 29D 11H 59M later, she arrived back to Columbus on April 17, 1964, after flying 23,103 miles round-the-world. With this she became the "First woman to fly solo entirely round-the-world." Jerrie's flight was monitored by the National Aeronautic Association and the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) which certified it as a round-the-world speed record for aircraft weighing less than 3,858 pounds. On May 4, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson awarded Jerrie with the Federal Aviation Administration's Exceptional Service Decoration.
 
Related Database Events:
General17/4/1964

         
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