26 June 2023 , 16:35
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A pilot killed in a hot air balloon tragedy died "doing what he loved" taking "one last flight", his family have said.
Peter Gregory's family have paid tribute to the 25-year-old, after he died piloting the balloon - understood to have been built by hand - which crashed near the village of Ombersley, Worcestershire, on Sunday morning.
Described as "driven and determined", Mr Gregory had lived life "to the full", his loved ones have said.
In a statement released by West Mercia Police on Monday, the family said: "Peter Gregory, 25 years of living life to the full.
"On the morning of Sunday June 25, our Pilot Pete took one last flight, doing what he loved.
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"Be it in a hot air balloon or as an airline pilot, Peter's passion for flying was something his family and friends could only admire and support him towards.
Police were called following a hot air balloon which had deflated and fell to the ground (Joseph Walshe / SWNS)"When he set his heart to something, he'd never give up, he was driven and determined, and one could only watch on in awe.
"We will fly together again soon Pete. We love you, Dan, Mummy, Daddy & Emma."
Recently promoted to First Officer flying Learjets for Ryanair, Mr Gregory was ranked as second in the world for flying hot air balloons.
The talented young pilot had also delivered emergency medication to sick and vulnerable people during the Covid pandemic after losing his job flying planes for Flybe, it emerged on Monday.
Emergency services were called to the village on Sunday following reports that a hot air balloon had deflated and fallen from the sky.
Mr Gregory's death is being investigated by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB).
The crash is not thought to be connected to a hot air balloon festival ongoing at the weekend (SWNS)One local photographer and balloon enthusiast said Mr Gregory had been a "very experienced" flyer in a family of balloon pilots, flying in them since he was "just three years old".
"It was a very new balloon which was hand built in the last year," the man, who was not named, told Mail Online.
"It sounded like there was some sort of fire and it caused it to collapse. That's the biggest risk to ballooning.
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"There's normally a whole load of safety checks before you take off, making sure that there's no leaks."
The Ryanair pilot was an extremely experienced hot air balloon flyer, ranking second for piloting them (West Mercia Police / SWNS)
The crash is now being investigated (Joseph Walshe / SWNS)The British Balloon and Airship Club (BBAC) said it was aware of the incident.
"The AAIB have been informed and supported by the BBAC, will be investigating the circumstances," a statement said.
"Our thoughts are with the family and friends of those involved at this time."
Mr Gregory started his position at the budget airline in December, writing on his LinkedIn: "I began flying Hot Air Balloons commercially [after losing his previous job], gaining invaluable experience and ratings on all sizes of balloons.
"I built my own balloon and was able to concentrate on competitions.
"Now ranked £2 in the UK, and finishing 18th out of 105 competitors at the World Championships last year.
"Finally, after never giving up - I was able to get back in the air, without a bag of hot air!"
He added: "I'm happy to share that in December, I started a new position as Learjet 45 First Officer at Ryanair - Europe's Favourite Airline, providing AOG and engineering support across the vast Ryanair Network.
"I am now well underway with my line training, having flown into many new airports across the network, enjoying every moment."
This weekend marked the first Worcestershire Balloon Festival, which took place on June 23 and 24 at Worcester Racecourse, around 6.8 miles from the site of the accident.
Organisers said the accident was not related to the festival.