Jolly Good Show, Chaps!
Jim O’Neil, a 65-year-old Brit, was piloting his Cessna (above) on a flight from Glasgow to Colchester in England yesterday when he apparently suffered a mild stroke and suddenly lost his sight. And there he was, at 5500 feet and literally flying blind.
He managed to notify air controllers of his predicament and an RAF plane was scrambled to assist. The RAF pilot, Wing Commander Paul Gerrard, flew alongside O’Neil’s plane and talked him into a bumpy-but-safe landing on his eighth try at a nearby military base. That’s right, he made it on his eighth try!
Certainly brings to mind the pidgin expression common here in Hawaii: Cool head main thing!
At last report, O’Neil was in the hospital and on the road to recovery, with his eyesight apparently returning to normal.
Wow!
Glad the Brits launched an old head to help the guy land. RAF Wing Commander is equivalent to USAF lieutenant colonel.
God love ’em, I’ll bet neither one’s voice on the radio was one bit different than it would have been calling for a weather update.