Man Taking Flying Lesson Lands Plane On His Own After Flight Instructor Passes Out In Mid-Air
AUSTRALIA (CBSNewYork) – Imagine you're learning how to fly a plane and you're suddenly left alone in the middle of sky without knowing how to land.
That nightmare actually played out in Australia after a flight instructor passed out mid-lesson.
Luckily for one brave student, who got the lesson of a lifetime, this story has a happy ending.
Max Sylvester, the pilot-in-training, was only in his third lesson when his instructor had a medical emergency in the air.
Sylvester had never flown a two-seat Cessna, nor had he landed a plane before.
With help from air traffic controllers, he made several passes over the runway but eventually was able to make a perfect landing.
"Adrenaline and my knowledge of flying that I love, that's really all that kept us going," Sylvester said once he was safely back on the ground.
The flight instructor is reportedly in serious but stable condition. It's believed he had a seizure.