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The Square Trust Rescue Helicopter base in Palmerston North usually deals with other people's tragedies. Now it is struggling to cope with one of its own, the loss of base manager Dave Fielding.
Mr Fielding was taking student James Taylor on his private pilot's licence exam when their helicopter collided with a Cessna, hundreds of metres above Paraparaumu.
Both men died instantly.
The base had been swamped with emails and phone calls, as people offered support to the colleagues of a man whose job was to help others.
"Dave is going to be very difficult to replace," Trust chief pilot John Funnell said.
"When he came to us he brought a whole different atmosphere to the base. Not only was he a highly regarded pilot, but he had an excellent ability to get along with people."
Fielding came from a flying family, his grandfather being one of the pioneers of aerial top dressing.
"Flying was his life, but he had a partner," said Mr Funnell, "They had a three-month-old child and he was very fond of them ... the relationship developed into a very strong bond, which was to result in a marriage next month."
However, the next month for the family and the rescue helicopter trust will involve commemorations rather than celebrations.
