Flying was young pilot's life, and death

A Tauranga man tragically killed in a mid-air plane collision was just weeks away from gaining his commercial pilot's licence -- and flying was his life.

Brandon James Gedge, 20, died in his cockpit yesterday when his single-engine Piper Cherokee training aircraft crashed into paddocks near Shannon, southwest of Palmerston North, about 10am.

The two light planes collided over Manawatu and one of the aircraft was reported to have had a close call with a rescue helicopter minutes earlier.

Mr Gedge was a second-year student at Massey University's School of Aviation, along with Dae Jin Hwang, 27, from West Auckland, who also died when the planes collided.

Early this morning Mr Gedge's parents, Lyn and Neil, along with his elder sister Aynsley, flew to Palmerston North to the scene of the crash to pay tribute and bring their son's body home, the Bay of Plenty Times reported.

Mr Gedge senior is the manager of Elliotts Funeral Services in Tauranga.

Mrs Gedge told the Bay of Plenty Times today she couldn't find the words to describe her son, who was respected by everyone.

"He was quiet and deep thinking and didn't make a lot of fuss about anything. We were really close as a family. What can you say? He was a good kid."

The former Tauranga Boys' College student was looking forward to getting his commercial pilot's licence on March 9.

Air Discovery Rotorua -- an on-demand charter flight service -- had expressed interest in employing him at the end of the year.

"Their instructor phoned his father and said that when he finished at the end of the year they wanted his CV because he had a fantastic attitude. The instructor rang three times to reiterate. We told Brandon and he didn't believe it -- he didn't believe in himself sometimes.

"He was an unassuming kid ... he had a very dry sense of humour."

His whole life revolved around flying and the air -- it was a passion that infiltrated every moment of his life, his family say.

"He was in a flat down there at Palmerston North with other students. Their flat backed on to the runway. That was his life, that's all he talked about."

Mrs Gedge said her son had finally regained control of his life after a period of ill-health and a long stint in Auckland Hospital in his final two years at high school.

"Brandon and I spent a lot of time together in his sixth and seventh form. He was in Auckland Hospital a lot of the time and it was often just he and I. You do grow extremely close."

Mr Gedge was a prefect in his last year at college, and played cricket and soccer for the school.

His huge contribution as a saxophonist in the college's acclaimed jazz Big Band was today recalled by the school's head of music, John Page.

Mr Page, the band director during Mr Gedge's last two years at the college, said the young man was a talented and gifted musician who was highly respected by his fellow students.

"He had a real determination to achieve in whatever he tried to do."

Mr Page said his former student's whole ethos toward life shone through when he struggled with his health during his senior years at college.

A funeral for Mr Gedge will take place next Wednesday at Holy Trinity church, where he used to play in the church band.

- NZPA