UK to Oz for blind pilot

A blind aviator is aiming to fly halfway around the world to raise £1m to help prevent blindness.

Miles Hilton-Barber, 58, from Derbyshire is hoping to become the first blind aviator in history to fly from the UK to Sydney.

His departure on Monday was delayed by bad weather - and he is now unlikely to leave for at least several days.

He will be accompanied by his sighted co-pilot Storm Smith in a specially adapted microlight. He will fly in stages along the 13,500-mile route across Europe, the Middle East, India and Indonesia. He will use speech-output technology to fly the microlight on the 45-day journey.

The money raised will go to Standard Chartered Bank's charity Seeing Is Believing, which is supporting the World Health Organisation's attempts to wipe out preventable blindness in developing countries.