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Blind Pilot Flies And Lands A Real Airplane
After a retinal degenerative disease stole pilot Jim Platzer's eyesight, one of his greatest fears would be that he could never fly again. After working closely with a certified flight instructor, Jim was able to take back the controls and performs the impossible feat of landing blind. (planelopnik.kinja.com) More...
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This is a very inspirational story that aptly demonstrates the adage 'it's not what happens to you, it's how you handle what happens that to you.'
yep
I used to work with Blind and Partially Sighted young people and adults as a Independence & Mobility Officer. I used sailing as a means to get them to explore the world around them and feel the thrills and excitement we all take for granted.Flying takes it to another level, no pun intended! It takes a huge amount of trust and perseverance on all sides to make this work and therefore salute Jim and those around him who together have set such a fine example of determination and motivation to all who follow.
Many of the verbal callouts that his CFI is giving could probably be automated with a text-to-speech iPad app or something. There might even be some potential safety benefits to sighted pilots in certain circumstances (PFD/MFD failure, laser blindness, long flights without autopilot, etc).
I've been able to talk with Jim before. He's the genuine article and it's pretty amazing what he's been able to accomplish.
Brings big smiles to my face!
