ANN ARBOR, Mich. (WJBK) - A nonprofit flying club in Ann Arbor, Mich. is helping a legally blind man learn how to fly.
Jason DeCamillis has wanted to fly a plane ever since he was young. However, he had given up hope due to his impaired vision. The Ypsilanti native has Retinitis Pigmentosa, a progressive condition which slowly affects his peripheral and night vision.
But then, he saw a video online of a pilot who lost his license due to the same condition. That pilot kept on flying by taking flight lessons, though.
"I thought, 'Wow. Maybe I could do the same thing.' I had just never thought to ask," DeCamillis says. So, eventually he got in touch with Dr. Alex Arts, who agreed to take him up for a discovery flight and encouraged him to pursue flight instruction.
DeCamillis has logged more than 8 hours of flight time now. He can't ultimately get his license, but is still fulfilling his lifelong dream.
DeCamillis is special education teacher and an advocate for students with disabilities, and says this project is important to him to see if he could do what it takes to learn how to fly. He's documenting his journey and hopes to make a film about it, called "Flying Blind". Here's a trailer for the documentary.
If you'd like to help DeCamillis raise the funds to finish producing his documentary, you can do so through his IndieGoGo account here.