Born Without Arms — She Learned to Fly an Airplane With Her Feet

Jessica Cox had always been afraid of flying. But during a flight one day, the pilot sitting beside her offered to let her try the controls. She took off a shoe, wrapped her toes around the control wheel and began moving it.

Then the pilot took his hands away. Jessica was flying the airplane herself.

It was an incredible moment for someone who had spent years being nervous about airplanes. Jessica had been born without arms, but she had already learned to do almost everything with her feet. Now she wanted to see whether she could learn to fly on her own.

She Had Been Learning to Adapt Her Entire Life

Jessica was born in Arizona in 1983 without arms. Growing up, she had to figure out ways to do everyday things that most children learned using their hands. Her parents encouraged her to be independent, and she began developing her own techniques while she was still very young.

She learned to eat, write, brush her hair and get dressed using her feet. As she grew older, she became comfortable typing on a keyboard, using a phone and handling all kinds of small objects with her toes.

For about eleven years, Jessica wore prosthetic arms. But by the beginning of eighth grade, she had decided she was happier without them. She found it easier to do things using the feet she had spent her childhood training.

She also loved physical challenges. Jessica began practicing taekwondo as a child and eventually earned a black belt. Rather than give up on techniques that normally required arms, she and her instructors worked out different ways to perform them.

She continued practicing martial arts into adulthood, eventually earning a fourth-degree black belt. She also learned to drive a car, obtained an unrestricted driver’s license and graduated from the University of Arizona.

By then, Jessica was accustomed to finding her own way of doing things. Learning to fly, however, would require an entirely new set of skills.

Finding an Airplane She Could Actually Fly

The first problem was the airplane itself. Most small aircraft require pilots to use their hands to operate the controls while their feet work the rudder pedals. Jessica couldn’t operate a conventional cockpit that way.

Fortunately, there was an airplane with an unusual design that offered a solution.

The ERCO Ercoupe had been developed in the 1940s with a control system that connected the rudder and ailerons. Unlike most airplanes, it didn’t have separate rudder pedals. The pilot could steer using the control wheel while managing the throttle separately.

For Jessica, that meant she could operate the airplane using her feet. One foot controlled the steering wheel, while the other managed the throttle and other necessary controls.

She began training with an instructor named Glen Davis, who introduced her to flying the Ercoupe. Later, instructor Parrish Traweek helped her continue her lessons in an aircraft suitable for the Sport Pilot certificate she wanted to earn.

Organizations including Wright Flight and Able Flight also helped support her training. Able Flight provided a scholarship, allowing her to continue working toward her license.

It wasn’t a quick process. Jessica spent about three years learning how to take off, navigate, land and handle problems that could arise during a flight. She also had to develop reliable ways to operate instruments, use the radio and manage the cockpit without assistance.

Eventually, she reached a milestone every student pilot remembers: flying alone for the first time.

Her First Solo Flight Came With a Surprise

On Mother’s Day in 2008, Jessica prepared for her first solo flight. Her instructor had told her not to fly unless she could hear him over the radio.

But after taking off, she realized she couldn’t hear his voice through her headset. He could hear her, although Jessica wouldn’t discover that until she was safely back on the ground.

She continued flying the airplane as she had been taught. As she approached the runway, she noticed her airspeed was too low for a proper landing.

Rather than force the airplane onto the runway, she increased power, climbed away and circled around for another attempt. She returned and landed successfully on the second approach.

Afterward, they discovered that the volume on her headset had been turned down too low. Jessica had handled the situation without hearing her instructor, making the decisions needed to bring the airplane down safely.

The experience gave her a chance to demonstrate the judgment and flying skills she had spent years developing.

The Day She Made Aviation History

On October 10, 2008, Jessica completed her Sport Pilot checkride and earned her certificate. At 25 years old, she became the first person born without arms to earn a pilot’s certificate.

Guinness World Records recognized her as the first woman to fly an airplane with her feet. The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum also recognized her achievement, identifying Jessica as the first licensed pilot without arms.

Her certification allowed her to fly qualifying light-sport aircraft, including the Ercoupe she had trained in. She could operate the airplane independently, using the same feet she had relied on since childhood.

Jessica went on to become a public speaker, author and disability advocate. Her experiences were also featured in the documentary Right Footed, which followed her life and the opportunities she was creating for others. She eventually founded Rightfooted Foundation International, a nonprofit dedicated to helping children born without arms develop the skills and confidence to live independently.

One of its programs now provides specially designed dressing hooks free to children 18 and younger.

The tools help children who have difficulty dressing themselves learn to put on their own clothes without needing someone else’s assistance.