Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson today led the tributes to a Sussex pilot killed in an air crash.

Falklands veteran Norman Lees, 49, died when the vintage Spitfire he had been flying hit a tree before crashing to the ground.

Mr Lees had been giving a lesson to the plane's new owner, Greg McCurragh, at Goodwood airfield on Saturday. Mr McCurragh, from South Africa, also died instantly. Mr Lees, from Copthorne, near Crawley, had worked as a senior pilot for Virgin Atlantic since 1994.

Sir Richard paid tribute to him, describing Mr Lees as "a delightful man". He said: "Nothing was too much trouble for Norman. He was an incredible team player and he will be missed very much by everyone at Virgin."

The Mark 9 Spitfire, one of only three left in the world, had already made one successful landing at the airfield minutes before the fatal crash. Today friends of Mr Lees, who flew helicopters in the Falklands War, described him as a highly experienced pilot who would never take risks.

Officials at Goodwood airfield confirmed there had been no radio message the Spitfire was in trouble as it made its approach to the runway. The crash was witnessed by several people who were preparing to take-off from the airfield for flying lessons.

Airfield director Tony Houghton said: "It is a terrible tragedy and we extend our deepest sympathies to the families of the two men. We have known the plane for a long time because it has been kept at Goodwood for about nine years.

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