Photo: Project 2025
The world’s first armless pilot Jessica Cox has announced an ambitious airplane conversion project whose purpose is to modify an RV-10 in such a way that controlling the aircraft by foot would be much more convenient.
Cox received her Sport Pilot Certificate 13 years ago, and she’s currently using an Ercoupe for short flights using nothing but her feet.
However, the position in the cockpit is uncomfortable, to say the least. Because she has to hold her legs up in the air to reach the controls, Cox can’t fly a plane for more than 45 minutes, all while flying at a cruising speed of 90 miles per hour (144 kph) because of the Ercoupe limitations.
This is why building a custom RV-10 is such an ambitious project that could end up becoming one important accessibility achievement.
With plane controls placed in a more convenient position to be reached by foot, the RV-10 could allow for longer flights, not only because the cockpit itself becomes more comfortable but also thanks to the increased speed of the aircraft. The RV-10 can fly at more than 200 miles per hour (322 kph), and Cox says she wants to start by going from 50 miles (80 km) around her home airport to virtually anywhere in North America.
Eventually, such a custom plane could take the pilot even beyond the borders of North America, Jessica Cox explains on her website, as the RV-10 could allow not only for longer flights but also for multiple stops in rapid succession.
A Guinness Book record holder, Jessica Cox explains that she believes it would eventually be possible to take kids with disabilities on flights on flights as well, especially to promote her message that “disability does not mean inability.”
The custom project will involve a team of professional engineers that will try to make sure that everything remains as safe as it gets while applying all the required modifications for the controls to be easily reachable by foot.
However, the position in the cockpit is uncomfortable, to say the least. Because she has to hold her legs up in the air to reach the controls, Cox can’t fly a plane for more than 45 minutes, all while flying at a cruising speed of 90 miles per hour (144 kph) because of the Ercoupe limitations.
This is why building a custom RV-10 is such an ambitious project that could end up becoming one important accessibility achievement.
With plane controls placed in a more convenient position to be reached by foot, the RV-10 could allow for longer flights, not only because the cockpit itself becomes more comfortable but also thanks to the increased speed of the aircraft. The RV-10 can fly at more than 200 miles per hour (322 kph), and Cox says she wants to start by going from 50 miles (80 km) around her home airport to virtually anywhere in North America.
Eventually, such a custom plane could take the pilot even beyond the borders of North America, Jessica Cox explains on her website, as the RV-10 could allow not only for longer flights but also for multiple stops in rapid succession.
A Guinness Book record holder, Jessica Cox explains that she believes it would eventually be possible to take kids with disabilities on flights on flights as well, especially to promote her message that “disability does not mean inability.”
The custom project will involve a team of professional engineers that will try to make sure that everything remains as safe as it gets while applying all the required modifications for the controls to be easily reachable by foot.
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