I’m the World’s First Armless Pilot—What It’s Like to Travel the World

We are talking to passengers as to travel as a travel + leisure column, how he likes to find the world through his unique approach. We interacted with the world’s first licensed Armmelus Pilot Jessica Cox, who is now working on the construction of the first -to -be -controlled aircraft with the experimental aircraft association.For, for, for,. The impossible aircraft is called. She also travels to the world as an encouraging speaker, and encourages people not to see as disability. Here is his story …

I was born without any medical reason for my two arms. They never developed in Utero, and even today it is a matter of what is the reason for this – it was one of those flickering things. But since it was from birth, I spent my whole life to detect it. In a sense, it was a gift because if you were born in a particular way, and if you know all this, you start with a clean slate.

From the beginning, I made contact that if there is no weapon, why not use my feet? Bones like our hands and fingers in our fingers and feet are of the same type, so it was a common transfer of alternatives.

Absolutely clearly, I didn’t even realize how different I was unless I leave my community. But at the time I did, I was constantly reminded that I was different. It was difficult and had a habit of getting some habit, especially to deal with stares and reactions.

I did everything to meet this routine, trying to mix with artificial organs for 11 years. But I never contacted them, so I said, why not let them go? I made this decision at the age of 14. I decided to give up the arms and know how different. It wasn’t overnight, and it was not always easy.

The journey was very young I loved. I got it from my mother. She is a Philippine and moved to the United States in the 1970s. She was a well -established nurse there, so she invited her to come here when the nurses needed. She loved living in the United States, and met my father at an international party. Its roots are in the deep south, so they cannot be much different. But then his amazing family was with three children, and I had a love for both worlds and a love for both worlds.

When I was 8 years old, I made the first major international trip to the Philippines. Knowing that life was changing, there is a different world, and it never stopped. I have now spoken in 28 countries around the world and traveled even more.

Now, I will say, the difficulty for traveling without weapons has been promoted. Universal Design – ie, designing products and environments is worth all for use – something that most people are familiar with, but every disabled person has individual needs and preferences.

For example, I do not need a hotel room according to ADA. The advantage is that everything is down, so I can reach things more easily than my feet. But there are aspects that don’t work for me. For example, a roll under sink is actually a waste because if I am using my feet as my hands, I have to sit on the counter top. There is a assumption that I need the ADA room, and I have to tell them, which depends on the room.

We need to treat everyone who we face with the mentality that is different. I’ve been talking for 18 years now and this is a message that resonates with everyone: Think outside the shoe.

While I like travel, it also means to conquer something that causes anxiety for me: flying. When I used to fly commercially in childhood, I would get so stressed from the experience, I would have to get some medicines.

For many people, fear is not controlled. For me, it was a fear of unknown. When you do not understand the flight, and you take Hollywood as your example, what happens if the flight is not smooth, gives rise to fear. When I was 21 years old and was out of college straight, I was contacted to fly in a small plane. I thought, this is my opportunity to overcome this fear.

As much as I learned about aviation and aerodemics, I realized that I should not be afraid. If you lose the engine, you just go to the ground and look for it to descend somewhere – it is not as if the plane falls from the sky. There is a riot.

This is different when you are watching all that is to be gathered to blow up the plane, and to hold control there. This is a very different position than being a passenger.

I went to a small plane cockpit for my first flight – a Cessna, usually a starter plane for early people. The aircraft had dual control, which means you can fly it from the right or left seat. I sat on the right and the pilot was on the command (photo), the bill, the left seat. When we were in the air, he said, “Why don’t you try and see what it like to fly?”

I did not say the person who said, so I took off my shoe and hesitated my feet to the gambling, the control wheel for steering. I caught his grip between my big toes and the other toe.

I looked at the bill on my left and his hands were far from over. He said, “You’re flying air!” At that time he hit me – I wanted to make every effort to become a pilot.

When you overcome your fears, you find everything on the other side.

I have a Sport Pilot Certification to fly Light Sports Airplane, so I can take a passenger to a height of 10,000 feet in daylight. They call it “$ 100 hamburger” because it means flying to a neighboring airport, going into breakfast, and then blowing back.

My most exciting flight was my first solo journey. My instructor got out of the plane and said, “Take it up, fly it.” Knowing that I was doing this was incredible. It gives you a sense of empowerment, as my life is in my feet.

Indeed, there have been challenging moments here, that they call Miss closely. These events are sometimes in students. In my case, it was another student pilot who was not making his radio calls properly in the pattern. The only reason we knew was a close call because we had rigged Gopros in our plane.

When I show these planes with small planes, they are usually old white men. You undoubtedly feel like a minority. People look external and think that you can’t do it. I have to prepare a thick skin and have to say, “Yes, I can.” Once I showed them what I could do with the control of my feet and plane, they were just like, “Oh, you are a pilot.”

Each year, the experimental aircraft association (EAA) hosts the world’s largest air show – the world’s largest air show in Wisconsin’s Oshkosh. I have been going on since 2009. It is like a large party with airplanes.

Most aircraft are designed for people with four organs. I usually fly an aircope, designed in the 30s and made in the 40s. It is the only aircraft built without a roder pedal. Riders are connected to Isileron, which means that someone with two organs can fly it. That’s why I am flying today.

For 18 years, I have been working on my feet on the plane, which means for hands. There are many compromises in peace, as you can imagine. My feet are high and I am not sitting comfortably.

Now, we are working on another important project with the EAA Chapter 898, headed by Bob Newman, to build an experimental plane for the first time, which can be amended uniquely that can be flown only with feet. For the past four years in the New Jersey River Tomas, we have been building a customs for seat RV -10 aircraft, called impossible aircraft until it is constructed, it will be named Aim potential aircraft.

We are building it through our non -profit Right -Foundation International, which focuses on empowering the message that disability does not mean incompetence, as well as helping children and adults born without weapons and various disability. Aviation is only one of our four programs. Another one is providing a device that helps people get dressed without weapons because it is the difference between freedom and dependence.

We have some of the most expensive goals. I am hoping to become the first woman to fly worldwide in a small plane in 2028. There are many places around the world where there is such a strong notoriety of disability. Children are hidden at home. Disabled people are not given the opportunity to go to school. They do not get a job. Some are not seen as a candidate for marriage or family life. We want to move it. This flight around the world is going to show that if I can fly with my feet, we should not stop other people with disabilities.

When you don’t have to see the world, you have a limited context. The time you see that there is more, it opens up to your world for possibilities.

For example, when I travel myself, it is a great feeling not only to see another destination, but also to travel international solo. Even small things, such as carrying goods, require a creative solution. Sometimes, it is horrible not to bend anyone, but when you keep yourself in a terrible position, it spreads the best version of itself.

Last March, I was on a long international flight besides the economy. I could not use the table to eat. The flight attendant thought deliberately brought a huge tray – one that eats in the upper part of the basket. And put it on the floor in front of me, and we made a temporary table. Solo travel is a celebration of these moments.

When you have a physical disability, people often feel that they do not have the luxury of travel, but this is not true. I encourage people not to refrain from things that frighten them, and instead embrace them and see that they can have big experiences. Find your fears and it can change your life.