The pilot who died in a helicopter crash in London this morning often flew the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance.
The pilot has been named as Captain Pete Barnes. He died when the helicopter he was flying hit a crane on a high building and crashed onto a street in Vauxhall.
Andy Williamson, the chief executive of The Air Ambulance Service, said: “We are deeply saddened to hear the news that Pete Barnes was killed in the helicopter accident in London this morning.
“Pete had worked with us for many years and will be greatly missed. Our thoughts are with his family and with all the families affected by this tragedy.”
In a wide-ranging UK career spanning 18 years, Cpt Barnes had done everything from fly air ambulances to working as a pilot on adverts, TV programmes and films including the James Bond film Die Another Day, Saving Private Ryan and Tomb Raider II.
He was currently working for RotorMotion, an executive helicopter charter business.
Cpt Philip Amadeus, managing director, said Cpt Barnes was on a commercial flight from Redhill, in Surrey, to Elstree.
He said: “Our main priority now is for the family of the pilot and we extend our greatest sympathy to the friends and relatives of those who have died and been injured.”
Engineers from a Kingsthorpe firm were also minutes from starting work at the building where the helicopter crashed on Wednesday morning.
About 100 Briggs and Forrester workers were having a safety briefing in a basement adjoing The Tower, at St George Wharf 15 minutes before starting work when the accident happened at about 8am.
The aircraft is believed to have struck a crane at the top of the incomplete building before crashing into the street below.
John Wilcox, managing director of Briggs and Forrester, said: “I heard it on the news but got a phone call almost straight away from the project manager saying everyone has evacuated safely.
“I was here with his dad, who also works for us, and it was a big relief.
“There were probably a lot of relieved phone calls between our guys and family members straight afterwards saying everything is okay.”
The staff are working on a contract worth almost £30 million to fit out the 223 luxury apartments in the 51-storey building with electricity and plumbing.
Mr Wilcox said: “We are only working as high as the 45th floor at the moment but it could have been dangerous for anyone up that high depending on how the jib actually fell.
“They would have dispersed around the building but they were due to be as high as that today.”
The early signs are that nobody will return to the building for a number of days, Mr Wilcox said.
Addressing a press conference near the scene of the incident, Commander Neil Basu, of the Metropolitan Police, said: “It was something of a miracle that this was not many, many times worse.”
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