THE people of Wharfedale were united in grief last Friday as they gathered to say farewell to a hero.

The funeral of Royal Air Force pilot David Stead, 35, took place at All Saints Parish Church, Ilkley.

More than 300 comrades-in-arms, family, friends and well-wishers packed the church where they heard tributes to Flight Lieutenant Stead's life and career.

The coffin, draped in the Union Flag and carried by members of the Air Force was followed on its procession into the church by his family, including wife Michelle and members of the 1224 (Wharfedale) Squadron Air Training Corps where Flt Lieut Stead got his first taste for adventure.

A special forces pilot, he was one of ten servicemen killed when an RAF Hercules plane crashed in Iraq on January 30, this year.

At the funeral, colleague and close friend Squadron Leader Simon Edwards led the tributes. Sq Ldr Edwards, who is also Godfather to Flt Lieut Stead's daughter, Amelia, referred to a model of a Hercules plane placed at the rear of the chapel.

He said: "He would have liked to see so many people here and would have like to have seen the model of the Hercules, the aircraft he loved to fly.

"I don't have any bad memories of Steady - when you remember him, you end up smiling and there are people here who enjoyed every minute with him."

Sq Ldr Edwards spoke about Flt Lieut Stead's unparalleled ability as a pilot and his bravery. Flt Lieut Stead had been praised for a mission in Afghanistan where he rescued injured youngsters in atrocious flying conditions which had grounded every other aircraft.

Sq Ldr Edwards said: "He had courage in the face of extreme danger and he was personally and directly responsible for saving the lives of others.

"But he was never one to talk of his own achievements and sing his own praises - he did not need to. He gave his all to everything: to his family, to his friends, to the Air Force and to his country.

"Of all the people I know, within and out of the service, Steady was by a mile the one I respected the most."

Flt Lieut Stead's brother, Andrew, spoke of how enormously proud he was of all David's achievements and said that joining the RAF was all he had ever wanted to do. He added that although he had achieved his ambition of becoming a pilot David never forgot his roots and kept his feet firmly on the ground.

Andrew said: "Although he spent most of his time flying through the clouds he never left his head in them.

"I feel extremely proud to have known him and proud to have been able to call myself his brother. He will be greatly missed and never forgotten."

Flt Lieut Stead's father, Richard, of Burley-in-Wharfedale, said that joining the RAF had been the fulfilment of his son's ambition which had been sparked by his membership of the Ashlands Road, Ilkley-based ATC.

He said he returned excited from his first trip in an RAF plane as a youngster saying: "This is what I want to do."

Flt Lieut Stead's mother, Pauline, said: "He used to say if anything ever happened to him he would have been happy to have lived and loved the life that he wanted.

"To our country he was a fine and courageous aviator and to us he was a fine and loving son - we will miss him more than words could ever say."

Flt Lieut Stead's two young daughters Holly and Amelia did not attend the funeral but the order of service booklet contained two drawings of her father by Amelia.

As the funeral finished, an RAF Hercules plane flew low over the town in tribute.

An inquest into the death of the former Burley Middle School and Ilkley Grammar pupil will be resumed at a later date. The plane carrying the nine RAF men and one Royal Corps of Signals soldier was said to be on routine flight from Baghdad to a US base at Balad when it sent out a distress signal before crashing with the loss of everyone on board.

Investigations have ruled out sabotage and speculation has suggested it could have been shot down by insurgents.

The funeral was followed by a private cremation service.