Pilot takes to the skies despite severe vision loss

Jim Platzer, right, flies planes despite losing 95 percent of his vision. (Fox 29.)

Jim Platzer was forced to give up his job as president of a Fortune 500 company after being diagnosed with a degenerative eye condition that’s left him with just 5 percent of his field of vision, but he hasn’t let it rob him of his favorite hobby: flying.

Before being diagnosed with retinis pigmentosa, Platzer had obtained his pilot’s license, Fox 29 reported. He sought the help of flight instructor Joel Pierce who has helped him navigate the skies as his sight slips away.

“I have a complete set of dual controls,” Pierce told Fox 29.

Being able to fly has given Platzer more than a sense of accomplishment, and he said he wants others to think outside the box when their faced with adversity.

“Be innovative in your approach,” Platzer told Fox 29. “When you can’t get there one way, find another way to get there. Sometimes we think ‘OK, a blind guy can’t fly an airplane.’ Well, I can.”