Aim for the Skies: Jerrie Mock and Joan Merriam Smith's Race to Complete Amelia Earhart's Quest
Jerrie Mock took her first airplane ride when she was seven years old The rumbling of the engines filled her ears as the plane sped down the runway I’m going to be a pilot Jerrie announced when the plane landed
At first Jerrie dreamed of flying across her home state of Ohio But years later when she hurried home from school to listen to radio broadcasts about Amelia Earhart Jerrie decided Ohio wasn’t big enough I want to do what Amelia is doing Jerrie thought I want to see the whole world
Joan Merriam’s first plane ride was in 1952 when she was fifteen years old During the flight the pilots invited her into the cockpit When they landed Joan told her mother she wanted to learn how to fly a plane She started flying lessons and got her pilot’s license before she could even drive a car
Joan also dreamed of flying around the world Amelia Earhart was her idol and Joan wanted to circle the globe following the exact route Amelia had charted By age twenty-three Joan was flying planes for a living In November of 1963 she finally had enough money to buy her own plane It’s time Joan thought
