Families of the crewmen who died in a light aircraft crash in Essex have said they were living out their boyhood dreams by becoming pilots.
Captain Robert Bull, 40, and First Officer Francis Simmonds, 46, died when their Beechcraft King Air 200, crashed in a field in Chigwell, Essex, on Saturday.
The family of Mr Bull, who lived in Hornchurch, Essex, said he "always put a smile on everyone's face and enjoyed sharing a good joke."
In a statement released by Essex Police, they said: "Rob would always go out of his way to help people and nothing was too much trouble for him. He had been a pilot since 2003 and it was what he had always wanted to do.
"As an experienced pilot he worked hard to constantly improve his skills and had recently been awarded a captaincy.
"He was the glue that held everyone together and his family and friends are devastated by our loss. He will be sorely missed by everyone that knew him."
Meanwhile Mr Simmonds, who lived in Luton with his wife and seven-year-old son, was remembered as a "devoted husband and father."
Paying tribute to him today, his family said: "Becoming a pilot was Francis' boyhood dream and he loved every day of his job. His death leaves a gaping hole in our hearts and lives."
The Air Accidents Investigation Board has launched an investigation.
West Ham United chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold, who sometimes used the plane, have said they were lucky not to have been on board.
They had been due to fly from Stapleford Airport to the north east where their team had a Premier League match with Sunderland.
Mr Sullivan said: "The aviation company, London Executive Aviation (LEA), have two planes and we have flown on that particular plane about 50 times.
"It was 50/50 whether we got on the plane that crashed or the other one. It's a real shock. My heart goes out to the families of the pilots, it's very, very sad."
There was a last-minute change of plans when they arrived at the airport but found it was closed.
LEA confirmed Mr Sullivan and Mr Gold were due to fly with the company on Saturday morning, but on a different aircraft than the one involved in the accident.
Additional reporting by the Press Association
