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On this day in aviation history, 61 years ago—May 12, 1964—American pilot Joan Merriam Smith completed her historic around-the-world flight, becoming the second woman to do so. Flying a 1958 Piper PA-23-160 Apache E (registration N3251P), her ambitious journey took 56 days from start to finish.
Smith departed from Oakland International Airport at 1:00 p.m. on March 17, 1964, with her first stop in Tucson, Arizona. Her goal was to closely follow the route previously flown by aviation legend Amelia Earhart. However, seasonal weather and wind conditions proved unfavorable, requiring her to adjust her course as the flight progressed. Despite the challenges, she navigated the journey largely on her own—her only companion a teddy bear riding shotgun.
Equipped with VOR and NDB navigation aids, Smith still faced significant challenges throughout her 27,750-mile journey. She completed the flight in 55 days, 20 hours, and 12 minutes, covering 35 legs across 23 days of active flying. In total, she logged 170 flight hours, including 47 hours of instrument time and 26 hours flown at night.
As a result of her incredible accomplishment, Joan Merriam Smith became the first woman to fly solo around the world via the equatorial route. Her journey also set a record for the longest solo flight by a woman at that time—a testament to her skill, determination, and pioneering spirit.
Commercial Pilot, CFI, and Museum Entrepreneur, with a subject focus on WWII Aviation. I am dedicated to building flight experience so I can fly WWII Fighters, such as the P-51 Mustang, for museums and airshows, and in the USAF Heritage Flight. I lead and run the Pennington Flight Memorial, to honor local MIA Tuskegee Airman F/O Leland “Sticky” Pennington.
On this day in aviation history, 61 years ago—May 12, 1964—American pilot Joan Merriam Smith completed her historic around-the-world flight, becoming the second woman to do so. Flying a 1958 Piper PA-23-160 Apache E (registration N3251P), her ambitious journey took 56 days from start to finish.
Smith departed from Oakland International Airport at 1:00 p.m. on March 17, 1964, with her first stop in Tucson, Arizona. Her goal was to closely follow the route previously flown by aviation legend Amelia Earhart. However, seasonal weather and wind conditions proved unfavorable, requiring her to adjust her course as the flight progressed. Despite the challenges, she navigated the journey largely on her own—her only companion a teddy bear riding shotgun.
Equipped with VOR and NDB navigation aids, Smith still faced significant challenges throughout her 27,750-mile journey. She completed the flight in 55 days, 20 hours, and 12 minutes, covering 35 legs across 23 days of active flying. In total, she logged 170 flight hours, including 47 hours of instrument time and 26 hours flown at night.
As a result of her incredible accomplishment, Joan Merriam Smith became the first woman to fly solo around the world via the equatorial route. Her journey also set a record for the longest solo flight by a woman at that time—a testament to her skill, determination, and pioneering spirit.
