RIYADH: The world’s first licensed armless pilot, Jessica Cox was invited to speak at the Saudi Aviation Club’s recent Sun and Fun Airshow near Riyadh.
She was born without arms due to a rare birth defect, but despite her disability, she flies aircraft — with her feet.
Born in Sierra Vista, a small town in southern Arizona, she encountered discrimination from a young age due to her disability.
“There was discrimination at school, discrimination in public,” she said. “Most children get picked on at some time; it affected me in my younger years, and the only way of letting it out was tantrums. I was just frustrated.”
Cox said she “used to kick her siblings a lot.” To channel that energy, her mother introduced her to taekwondo.
The discipline of the martial art attracted Cox, who immediately capitalized on her unusual ability with her legs and feet.
Four years later, she was the first person ever without arms to achieve black belt rank. She still practices taekwondo 25 years later, and is a second-degree black belt.
“Every time you got a higher belt, it was a significant level of achievement. It gave me confidence,” she said.
“I was a bit of a perfectionist child; when I started something I finished it. Determination had set in, developed out of necessity.”
Despite her fear of flying, her dreams of doing so started as a young girl. “I’d sit on a swing in the playground and wonder what it would be like to fly above the clouds,” she said.
At school Cox was a grade A student, particularly in maths and science, and eventually graduated with a degree in psychology and communications.
“I just knew I was going to apply it to being a speaker. It was set in stone some time during college,” she said. “That’s really when flying came in.”
At a speaking engagement in Tucson, a fighter pilot offered her a cockpit ride in a private aircraft.

In 2019, Tim Treat, a Nevada pilot who described himself as a fan of Jessica Cox, donated the plane to her organization, Rightfooted Foundation International. It was a magical moment, she says, because she had been renting planes for 10 years. (Photos/Jessica Cox Motivational Services)
“When I was up and above the clouds, looking down, I realized my childhood dream was possible,” Cox said.
“At that moment, I promised myself I’d commit to becoming a certified pilot, whatever it took.”
The reaction to her decision varied; nonpilots wondered what on earth she was doing, but pilots were very encouraging.
However, it was unclear how the regulatory authorities would handle, and react to, a student with no arms. It was also unclear what type of airplane would suit her.
But because Cox had a full driver’s licence, the medical was bypassed, and there was already a precedent with a student who had polio and flew a modified aircraft. Moreover, Cox was determined to adapt to any aircraft.
She met the pilot instructor who had experience with the student with polio. The instructor saw no problem training her.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Jessica Cox was born without arms due to a rare birth defect, but despite her disability, she flies aircraft — with her feet.
• Born in Sierra Vista, a small town in southern Arizona, she encountered discrimination from a young age due to her disability.
• The discipline of the martial art attracted Cox, who immediately capitalized on her unusual ability with her legs and feet.
• Four years later, she was the first person ever without arms to achieve black belt rank. She still practices taekwondo 25 years later, and is a second-degree black belt.
The first challenges were mundane: How to put on a seatbelt and headphones without arms. At the Sun and Fun Airshow, Cox held the audience spellbound as she deftly did both with her feet.
The paperwork qualifications presented no difficulty to her due to her science and maths skills.
Then came the proof of concept. As she sat with the controls in front of her, engine turning and facing a mile of tarmac, “I prayed,” she said.
“It was overwhelming, but I approached it as I did previous challenges, by breaking it down into what exactly the challenge is, what needs to be done and how can I achieve it.”
As the wheels left the ground, Cox felt a sense of relief and achievement. “You go through all the anticipation that leads up to the moment, and then it’s done! I knew then I could do it.”
After the first few hours of training, she transferred her learning to an unmodified 1946 ERCO Ercoupe, an aviation classic. “That’s when I consider that the serious training began,” she said.

In 2019, Tim Treat, a Nevada pilot who described himself as a fan of Jessica Cox, donated the plane to her organization, Rightfooted Foundation International. It was a magical moment, she says, because she had been renting planes for 10 years. (Photos/Jessica Cox Motivational Services)
Cox emphasized that her approach to life is not adapting the world to your needs, but adapting yourself to the world.
For example, she drives an unmodified car, and when competing in taekwondo, she declines to compete in the disabled category. And she wins.
She continued flying by renting aircraft wherever and whenever she could. In August 2019, she turned up at her aero club, of which she was president, to rent a plane. But there was an issue with it so it was unavailable to fly.
Frustrated, she called Barnstormers, a well-known source of used aircraft, and began getting details of aircraft for sale to replace the club plane. She found another Ercoupe and it seemed perfect.
While mulling over the details, a week later she received a phone call. “I’d like you to have the plane,” Cox was told. “I can’t ask you to pay for it. I’m going to give it to you.”
Tim Treat, a Nevada pilot who described himself as a “retired fan” of Cox, donated the plane to her organization, Rightfooted Foundation International.
It was a magical moment, she said, because she had been renting planes for 10 years. “I never ever thought I’d have one given to me for the foundation,” she said. Treat said: “I knew it was the right thing to do, just give it to her.”
Cox, who has brought hope and inspiration to thousands, said: “If there’s a challenge or problem, solve it by thinking outside the shoe.”