A lucky chap, indeed
Bottums Up
Thread Starter
A lucky chap, indeed
From the ABC News web site.
Pilot lands plane after being blinded mid-air
Posted 34 minutes ago (0811 07 2103z)
A British pilot who temporarily went blind in mid-air has been telling how the crew of a Royal Air Force plane helped him to land.
Jim O'Neill was flying his Cessna plane at around 1,500 metres when he suddenly lost his eyesight.
The hobby pilot believed he had been blinded by the sunlight.
However his blindness had been caused by a stroke.
Mr O'Neill alerted air traffic control in the north of England.
They sent an air force plane with an experienced flying instructor to guide him down safely.
Flying at just 15 metres beside Mr O'Neill, the Royal Air Force pilot managed to bring him down to a nearby air field using voice instructions.
Pilot lands plane after being blinded mid-air
Posted 34 minutes ago (0811 07 2103z)
A British pilot who temporarily went blind in mid-air has been telling how the crew of a Royal Air Force plane helped him to land.
Jim O'Neill was flying his Cessna plane at around 1,500 metres when he suddenly lost his eyesight.
The hobby pilot believed he had been blinded by the sunlight.
However his blindness had been caused by a stroke.
Mr O'Neill alerted air traffic control in the north of England.
They sent an air force plane with an experienced flying instructor to guide him down safely.
Flying at just 15 metres beside Mr O'Neill, the Royal Air Force pilot managed to bring him down to a nearby air field using voice instructions.
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: nz/oz
Posts: 145
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thats unreal!! job well done for all involved.
Just try to fly S/L with your eyes closed and see how long you can keep the wings level...
Thats the thing that boggles me the most, how he could keep the wings level after being blind, before the airforce pulled up beside him.
Just try to fly S/L with your eyes closed and see how long you can keep the wings level...
Thats the thing that boggles me the most, how he could keep the wings level after being blind, before the airforce pulled up beside him.
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: in the classroom of life
Age: 55
Posts: 6,864
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
An auto pilot perhaps?
And being very familiar where the controls were.
All quite possible and believeable, but to handle the stress of that when suffering a medical incident is amazing!
As for hand flying it..........
J
And being very familiar where the controls were.
All quite possible and believeable, but to handle the stress of that when suffering a medical incident is amazing!
As for hand flying it..........
J
Bottums Up
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by Tinpis
Blind landings are something we are trained for innit Clarrie?
Sprucegoose
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Hughes Point, where life is great! Was also resident on page 13, but now I'm lost in Cyberspace....
Age: 59
Posts: 3,485
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
"Flying blind', didn't we recently have a thread on the very same subject?
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 1,569
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
What ever level of sight this guy had he kept his cool. Experience most likely saved the day along with well planned help. Just for the record I believe being left blind from a stroke doesn't mean he was totally blind, seriously impared most likely but never the less an amazing feat
CW
CW
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: queensland
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
That is an amazing feat and I am impressed, superb airmanship by the RAF and to the pilot concerned to bring him in like that and more amazed that air traffic control and the military worked so swiftly...good on 'em
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Age: 84
Posts: 492
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
tinpis: The RAF used a Tucano T1, from Linton-on Ouse, RAF training base.
A single-engined turbo, tandem-seater, very nippy machine.
Well done, all round!
Best regards,
TNO.
A single-engined turbo, tandem-seater, very nippy machine.
Well done, all round!
Best regards,
TNO.
More than likely. Possibly G1000 (it looked like a recent enough model). Is an AP standard on a new 182?
BBC NEWS | UK | England | North Yorkshire | Blind pilot's sight 'recovering'
Picture of said aircraft with that article.
BBC NEWS | UK | England | North Yorkshire | Blind pilot's sight 'recovering'
Picture of said aircraft with that article.
Guest
Posts: n/a
The Beeb have the audio of how the RAF commander guided this very lucky man down:
BBC NEWS | UK | Talking down the blind pilot
BBC NEWS | UK | Talking down the blind pilot
From the local papers o'er this way, they suggest that his vision was severely impaired, meaning he could not read his instruments, nor make out visual outside details. ATC initially believed he simply had trouble seeing the airfield, but soon understood the severity of his situation. Top marks to both pilots !
