Armless Pilot Hits the Skies with the Impossible Airplane in Arizona

AZ – Jessica Cox, born without arms, is the first and only pilot with no arms to be licensed in aviation. Her low-wing Ercoupe has been around since the Thirties. Folks tend to love it because it can travel from Arizona airports into the clouds with the windows open, taking in stunning sunsets, feeling the breeze on their faces, and breathing in the desert air.

Of course, getting on board the Ercoupe isn’t exactly easy. You must carefully climb into the vessel without knocking your body against the instrument panel and then shut the door behind you. But then you can enjoy flying up to 90mph through the Southwest skies in a convertible airplane. You can even stick your head out the aircraft’s window if you feel like it. Just make sure your hair won’t blow in your eyes and block your view. One of the difficulties Cox encountered when modifying the Van’s Aircraft RV-10 into the Impossible Airplane was accessing the gull-wing doors. It was rather difficult for her to reach the handle on the wing from the outside while standing on one leg.

Sure, the plane can be flown without arms, but how does Cox get onboard? The answer is with modern technology. In early June, Oregon Institute of Technology students presented their creative solutions for the Impossible Airplane. The team created a simple push button and a control switch, not unlike the ones you see on hatchback cars.

Cox received generous assistance from several aviation professionals and businesses, enabling her to demonstrate an automated door at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, later this month. She will also provide a simulator, roll, and yaw controls for individuals to experience the Impossible Airplane for themselves.

Building the Impossible Airplane is about more than just allowing disabled pilots to fly. It allows people to look at the world from a different perspective and view those with handicaps in a positive light.