THE FAMILY of a pilot killed in a plane crash believe he steered his aircraft away from the busy M1 to save lives.
The family of John Gill, 70, have paid tribute to their "inspiration" after the light plane carrying him and his co-pilot, Alan Eaves, 76, came down near junction 26 of the motorway on Saturday.
Former Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce worker Mr Gill, of Belper, had been flying for 14 years.
The Air Accident Investigation Branch is continuing to look into the cause of the crash. The Cessna plane, built in 1972, came down around a quarter of a mile from the M1.
Mr Gill's daughter, Helena Jones, 37, said: "We believe that's what he would have done because he always put himself out for others.
"We have also heard other eye witnesses have said that. He would never have wanted others to suffer.
"He was a great pilot and always did thorough checks in his flying. To do something like that was really in his nature.
"What's happened is really hard."
Father-of-two Mr Gill, of Knowl Avenue, who has a 99-year-old mother, Dorothy Gill, worked for Rolls-Royce for nearly 40 years and learned to fly at Merlin Flying Club, Hucknall, when he retired in 2000.
Speaking for the first time yesterday, his grieving widow, Alma, 67, said John went flying on Saturday and usually sent a text message when he said he would be home.
Alma said: "He was just doing circuits. The first I heard was when the police came to the door. It has been such a shock.
"I keep thinking he will walk up the drive and this has been a dream. It's incredibly tragic.
"He was very safety-conscious and would always do thorough checks. He always looked for the worst-case scenario.
"He was 70 and did have his time. He had a very good life and there was not much he would have wanted to do.
"If there was anything he wanted to do, he would put everything into it. That was the person he was."
She said her husband, who also leaves a sister, Elizabeth Gilman, at one stage had a career as a promising young pop music star.
He cut a hit record, I've Got To Please You, which was played on the radio under his stage name Jonathan Gill.
Mrs Gill remembers Radio 1 DJ Tony Blackburn pronouncing her husband's name incorrectly, when it was announced as "Jill".
But she said Mr Gill was not particularly annoyed.
Helena said: "My dad had a brilliant life and achieved so much. He would do anything for anyone.
"We all looked up to him because he was a huge inspiration. His three eldest grandchildren have all learned to play the guitar.
"It was amazing to have him as my dad. All our friends were interested in what he did. He liked a drink and a chat and was a big real ale fan."
Mrs Gill said her husband's interest in flying began when he left Rolls-Royce, where he worked as a section leader and schedule writer.
She said: "We used to stand in the garden and look up to him when he flew past.
"Our grandson once lay on the garden table so he could be seen from above."
Mrs Gill said plans were in place for the funeral and that further details would be published in the Derby Telegraph's Family Announcements page.
