Blind Pilot Flies Supersonic Only in South Africa!
Miles Hilton-Barber, 59, an Englishman who has been blind for about 20 years, on Sunday flew with a sighted co-pilot at speeds up to 1,100 mph over Cape Town, South Africa. The English Electric Lightning jet climbed to 50,000 feet in under two minutes, according to the BBC. The record-setting event raised £50,000 for the charity Seeing is Believing, which helps blind children in developing countries. “There are 37 million blind people in the world today, and 28 million could see again tomorrow if the money was available,” Hilton-Barber said. He previously flew an ultralight from London to Sydney, and has also tried wingwalking and mountain climbing.
“The rush was incredible. It was just wonderful,” Hilton-Barber told the BBC. “Of course, I couldn’t see anything but my co-pilot told me that when we were flying upside down at 50,000 feet, you could see the curve of the earth.”
http://www.aero-news.net/LinkToArticle.cfm?ContentBlockID=4e0b4b0e-fc2e-46d5-9ef1-cd332367ec2d
By: ollieholmes - 5th April 2008 at 08:27
Well done to him for doing it.
By: Arabella-Cox - 5th April 2008 at 06:21
Miles Hilton Barber
On Sunday, 30 March 2008, Miles sat in a Martin-Baker ejector seat with great nervousness and excitement going through a comprehensive preflight briefing. After that he made his way out to the tarmac in front of the Thunder City Hangar at Cape Town International to realize his boyhood dream. Waiting for him was an English Electric Lightning ready to take Miles past the sound barrier and into the record books as the first blind person to fly up to 50,000 feet, fly a jet aircraft past the speed of sound and fly aerobatics in an (ex-) military jet. And the first blind person to get airsick at Mach 1-4.
Miles had this to say about his achievements, “Your attitude determines your altitude, the only limits in your life are those you accept yourself.”
Ps this man is just amazing, please go and have a look at his website.
My best to you all
Andrew
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April 3, 2008 at 10:08 pm