A HELICOPTER-SHAPED floral tribute was laid today at the funeral of a former Derbyshire air ambulance pilot who died when he crashed in central London.
Pete Barnes, 50, died from multiple injuries when the helicopter he was flying clipped a high-rise crane attached to The Tower at St George Wharf, in Vauxhall, south London, last month.
Family, friends and fellow pilots attended Reading Minster to pay tribute to the father-of-two today.
He was a former pilot for the Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance and helped save lives across the region.
A red, white and grey floral tribute was laid outside the Minster, carrying a note which said "G-Barnesy".
Another note read: "Barnesy, you were tip top... Gone too soon but never forgotten."
Flowers were laid on top of Mr Barnes's coffin, which was carried into the Minster by fellow pilots, among others.
A helicopter flew past the Minster twice at the end of the funeral.
During the service, a poem chosen by Mr Barnes's children – Scaffolding by Seamus Heaney – was read out and the pilot's brother Chris was among those to read a tribute.
The song I Wanna Be Like You from the Jungle Book was played as mourners filed out of the service.
