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| Blind pilot guided to land by RAF | Blind pilot guided to land by RAF |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| A pilot who suddenly went blind while flying his plane at 15,000ft was guided in to land by an RAF plane. | |
| A team was scrambled from the RAF base at Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire to help stricken pilot Jim O'Neill. | A team was scrambled from the RAF base at Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire to help stricken pilot Jim O'Neill. |
| He had taken a two-seater Cessna plane up from Prestwick airport in Scotland but in mid-flight suffered a medical condition that left him blind. | |
| The RAF jet flew alongside Mr O'Neill and the crew shepherded him to their base with instructions over the radio. | The RAF jet flew alongside Mr O'Neill and the crew shepherded him to their base with instructions over the radio. |
| Mr O'Neill had taken off from Prestwick airport and was heading to Colchester, Essex, when disaster struck last Friday. | |
| Shepherding aircraft in this way is something we do from time to time, but this is a very strange case Gp Capt Mark Hopkins | Shepherding aircraft in this way is something we do from time to time, but this is a very strange case Gp Capt Mark Hopkins |
| Before the Tucano T1 jet reached him, air traffic controllers tried to guide him to Full Sutton airfield near York but it proved impossible to land the Cessna safely. | |
| Station Commander at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, Gp Capt Mark Hopkins, said: "The Royal Air Force has the best pilots and air traffic controllers in the world. This team effort from Linton-On-Ouse lives up to that reputation. | Station Commander at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, Gp Capt Mark Hopkins, said: "The Royal Air Force has the best pilots and air traffic controllers in the world. This team effort from Linton-On-Ouse lives up to that reputation. |
| "Shepherding aircraft in this way is something we do from time to time, but this is a very strange case. | "Shepherding aircraft in this way is something we do from time to time, but this is a very strange case. |
| "I'm proud we could get him to the ground safely." | "I'm proud we could get him to the ground safely." |
| Mr O'Neill was checked over by RAF medics and transferred to hospital where he is currently being treated. | Mr O'Neill was checked over by RAF medics and transferred to hospital where he is currently being treated. |