Inspirational Tuesday: Meet the world’s first armless pilot

Loading player...
Jessica Cox readies for take off. Butterflies buzz in her stomach as she gives the yoke a gentle nudge. With her eyes fixed on the runway, she thrusts into the air at 100 kilometers an hour. This is no ordinary ascent though, Cox has just made history, she is the first armless pilot to fly. Despite being born with a rare birth defect, Cox was enrolled in a public school and quickly gained her independence. Cox went on to graduate from the University of Arizona with a degree in Psychology and Communication, and her accomplishments only skyrocketed from there.

While Cox surpassed expectations, there was one fear that she was determined to overcome: flying. After three years of training, she soared through the sky controlling the plane with just her feet. In 2008, Cox landed in the history books as the world’s first licenced armless pilot.
16 Feb 2021 English South Africa Society & Culture · Personal Journals

Other recent episodes

Women in MMA: SA champions, weight loss transformations and more with Forge MMA

Head Coach William, SA Flyweight Champion Quinn, and SA Bantamweight Champion Landie from Forge MMA in Westville joined Stacey, J Sbu and Nick Tatham in studio for an honest conversation about life in South African MMA. Landie opened up about her extraordinary journey, which included a 56kg weight loss transformation…
21 May 14 min

What's your favourite meal and why?

Every Wednesday, we hand the mic over to the smallest but mightiest voices in KwaZulu-Natal! The kids of our province take centre stage to share something special with us and honestly? They never disappoint. This week we stepped into the kitchen. You know that dish that makes you run to…
20 May 7 min

Have you outgrown your friends?

Palesa dropped one of those confessions that will have you stopping to think about your own life. She loves her friends, has real history with them and would not trade those memories for anything. But something has shifted and she just cannot unfeel it. The conversations, the energy, the mindset,…
14 May 5 min

Would you risk your life to stop a crime?

South Africa's crime rate means most of us have either seen something go down or know someone who has. Stacey and J Sbu put the question to KZN: if a crime happened right in front of you today, would you step in or would you stay back? Some say intervening…
19 May 7 min

Social media: Should parents be allowed to post their kids?

In the age of Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, sharing milestones of your children online has become as natural as breathing for most South African parents. But here is the thing. South Africa's POPI Act exists specifically to protect personal information and a child's image is personal information. Yet millions of…
12 May 10 min