The first woman to solo around the world took off on March 17, 1964 in a single engine Cessna nicknamed "Three-Eight Charlie", but with the insignia of "Spirit of Columbus".  This Columbus, Ohio housewife and mother won the admiration of the aviation world by her solo flight around the world. She accomplished this difficult journey with deceptive ease, testifying to the reliability of modern private aircraft, and to Jerrie's piloting and navigational skills. During the 23,206-mile flight she experienced the tremendous challenge of bad weather, long desert flights and even longer, lonely ocean crossings.

Jerrie had less than 800 hours logged when she took off on her around-the-world flight.  She had received her instrument rating less than a month before the flight and had only been flying 7 1/2 years.

Jerrie was born in Newark, Ohio, where she graduated from high school, and later studied Aeronautical Engineering at Ohio State University.