Tributes to 'inspirational' pilot

Steve Hayes

04 February 2010

TRIBUTES have been paid to a 'greatly loved' father from Stratford who died in a light aircraft crash.
Anthony Corr was killed in the crash along with business partner Richard Leonard when their Piper PA-31 light aircraft came down in a field on Friday (January 15).
Mr Corr, a 55-year-old, who had been a pilot with Ryanair since 2003, is survived by his wife Krystyna and two daughters, 26-year-old Aleksandra and 21-year-old Antonia.
In a statement they described his passion for flying and said he was a 'charismatic, determined and courageous personality always there for others and full of joie de vivre'.
And colleagues at Ryanair, where he had worked from Birmingham since 2006, described him as an inspirational man who lived for flying.
Mr Corr's captain Tim Gibson said his death left 'an immense void'.
He said: “He was one of the most professional pilots I have ever come across and I am sure there are many pilots who have benefitted from his advice and guidance.
“Nothing was too much trouble for him and he got on with everyone with a sense of humour and I will miss his cheery banter whenever he walked into the crew room or when we met on the flight deck.”
“He was one of that rare breed of inspirational pilots.”
And many more have posted moving tributes to Mr Corr on an online forum for pilots.
A former bomb disposal expert, Mr Corr was given the Mentioned in Dispatches military award in 1989 for work in Northern Ireland.
Richard Leonard, of Over Worton, near Chipping Norton, was also killed in the crash.
He leaves behind a wife and two children.
The 44-year-old and Mr Corr were were business partners in a helicopter chauffeur and rental company.
Thames Valley Police were alerted to the crash by a member of the public at around 2pm on Friday.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch are currently investigating the cause of the crash, in Bladon near Oxford airport.
One witness reported seeing the plane burst into flames 30 feet high on impact.

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