Jessica Cox (born February 2, 1983) is the world's first licensed armless pilot, as well as the first armless black-belt in the American Taekwondo Association.Jessica Cox has One Pilot's License, Two Black Belts, and Zero Arms.
. DisaboomLive. Retrieved on April 9, 2011. She was born without arms due to a rare

birth defect A birth defect is an abnormal condition that is present at birth, regardless of its cause. Birth defects may result in disabilities that may be physical, intellectual, or developmental. The disabilities can range from mild to severe. Birth de ...

.Woman born with no arms becomes first pilot to fly plane using only feet
Telegraph (December 8, 2008). Retrieved on April 9, 2011.

Early life

Jessica Cox graduated from the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it ...

in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...

and a minor in communications. Cox has not used

prosthetic In medicine, a prosthesis (: prostheses; from ), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through physical trauma, disease, or a condition present at birth (Congenital, congenital disord ...

arms since she turned 14. Using her feet as most people use their hands, she is able, among other things, to drive an unmodified car with an unrestricted

license A license (American English) or licence (Commonwealth English) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another part ...

, to type on a

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Mus ...

at 25 words per minute, to pump her own gas, and to put in and remove her

contact lens Contact lenses, or simply contacts, are thin lenses placed directly on the surface of the eyes. Contact lenses are ocular prosthetic devices used by over 150 million people worldwide, and they can be worn to correct vision or for cosmetic ...

es.Messina , Messina
Tucson Weekly. Retrieved on April 9, 2011. She is also a certified

scuba diver Scuba, originally SCUBA, often expanded to scuba set, is any self contained underwater breathing apparatus, a source of breathing gas used for underwater diving which is carried by the diver. Scuba may also refer to: * Scuba diving Scuba ...

Career

Jessica Cox flew in a single engine airplane for the first time via Wright Flight in 2004. Jessica earned her pilot's certificate on October 10, 2008 after three years of training and is qualified to fly a

light-sport aircraft A light-sport aircraft (LSA), or light sport aircraft, is a category of small, lightweight aircraft that are simple to fly. LSAs tend to be heavier and more sophisticated than ultralight (aka "microlight") aircraft, but LSA restrictions on weigh ...

to altitudes of 10,000 feet. She received her flight training through an Able Flight scholarship and soloed under the instruction of Parrish Traweek.New feat with her feet: Tucsonan, born minus arms, earns pilot's license – Tucson Citizen Morgue (1992–2009)
. Tucsoncitizen.com (December 2, 2008). Retrieved on April 9, 2011. Cox's Sport Pilot Certificate is for an ERCO 415-C Ercoupe, which the

Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in t ...

has designated a light sport aircraft. Designed in the 1940s, the Ercoupe was built without rudder pedals. Instead, the

rudder A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, airship, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (usually air or water). On an airplane, the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw ...

is interconnected with the

aileron An aileron (French for "little wing" or "fin") is a hinged flight control surface usually forming part of the trailing edge of each wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. Ailerons are used in pairs to control the aircraft in roll (or movement aroun ...

s through the

yoke A yoke is a wooden beam used between a pair of oxen or other animals to enable them to pull together on a load when working in pairs, as oxen usually do; some yokes are fitted to individual animals. There are several types of yoke, used in dif ...

. This unique design allows Cox to control the airplane with one foot controlling the yoke while the other foot controls the throttle. In 2019, Cox received a 1946 Ercoupe 415-C (Serial number #3153) with tail number N26R. She has stated she will use the airplane to promote the mission of Rightfooted Foundation International that "disability does not mean inability." In July 2020, Cox used the airplane to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the

Americans with Disabilities Act The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, ...

by taking retired Senator Tom Harkin on a flight near

Washington, DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

. Senator Harkin had introduced the Americans with Disabilities Act to the

US Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...

in 1990.

At the age of 10, Cox began training in

taekwondo Taekwondo (; ; ) is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving primarily kicking techniques and punching. "Taekwondo" can be translated as ''tae'' ("strike with foot"), ''kwon'' ("strike with hand"), and ''do'' ("the art or way"). In ad ...

at a school in her hometown of Sierra Vista.About Jessica
rightfooted.com. Retrieved on August 21, 2015. At the age of 14, she earned her first black belt. While in college at the

Cox restarted her Taekwondo training at an American Taekwondo Association club on campus. In an effort to help future students without the use of arms, the instructors created an entire training curriculum by modifying the standard material from the ATA. For example, instead of a punch Cox executes a knee strike.Jessica Cox Motivational Services. (2010). ''Jessica Cox Motivational Services.'' "Taekwondo." DVD Cox has since gone on to earn her second and third degree black belts in the ATA. Cox has also earned the title of 2014 Arizona State Champion in forms. She did not compete in a special abilities ring. In 2019, Cox became a fourth degree black belt. Cox works as a

motivational speaker A motivational speaker (or inspirational speaker) is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. Such speakers may attempt to challenge or transform their audiences. The speech itself is popularly known as a pep ta ...

and has shared her message in 26 different countries. In 2014, Cox competed in the 40 mile segment of El Tour de Tucson. In 2015, Cox published an autobiographical self-help book, ''Disarm Your Limits'',Cox, Jessica (2015), ''Disarm Your Limits'', Tucson, in order to inspire people to overcome their own challenges through the lessons she has learned in her life.

Media influence

Cox is the subject of the documentary '' Right Footed''.RIGHTFOOTED A Documentary
www.rightfootedmovie.com. Retrieved on April 23, 2014. The film is directed by

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

winning filmmaker Nick Spark. The documentary chronicles Cox' life,

mentorship Mentorship is the patronage, influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the perso ...

, and humanitarian trips to

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

and the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

, as well as her efforts to pass the

CRPD The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an international human rights treaty of the United Nations intended to protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. Parties to the convention are required to promote, pr ...

in the US

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

. The patented invention of a "Lower Extremity Vehicle Navigation Control System," which allows people to drive a car without the use of their upper body, by the Emirati engineer Reem Al Marzouqi was inspired by Cox.

References

External links

A pilot without hands

Jessica Cox's website

Rightfooted, a documentary about Jessica Cox
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cox, Jessica 1983 births Living people American activists with disabilities American amputees American aviation record holders American aviators of Asian descent American disability rights activists American female taekwondo practitioners American motivational speakers American people of Filipino descent American women aviation record holders Aviators from Arizona Congenital amputees Filipino aviators Filipino people with disabilities People from Tucson, Arizona People without hands Ripley's Believe It or Not! 21st-century American women University of Arizona alumni American women motivational speakers

Early life

Career

Media influence

See also

References

External links