Miles Hilton-Barber, 58, a British pilot who has been blind for 25 years, landed his microlight aircraft at Bankstown airport in Sydney, Australia, on Monday, after flying more than halfway around the world. His 59-day trip through 21 countries raised money for a charity that works to prevent blindness in poor countries. “It’s the fulfillment of an amazing dream,” Hilton-Barber told reporters. “I’ve wanted to be a pilot since I was a kid. Now I’m totally blind and I’ve had the privilege of flying more than halfway around the world.” Hilton-Barber controls the aircraft with the help of talking instruments and computerized sensors. He flew with a sighted copilot. They encountered snowstorms, freezing temperatures and torrential downpours along their 13,500-mile journey.
