Harry Barker, 85, of Bourne Road, Carlby, was declared dead at the scene after his small light single-engine plane came down near the car park at Sykes Lane, Empingham.

He had taken off from Spanhoe Airfield, near Harringworth, at about 3.15pm and crashed close to the Rutland Water Butterfly Farm and Aquatic Park at 3.30pm.

Police sealed off the car park and air accident investigators were on the scene by Wednesday night.

Tributes have already poured in to Mr Barker who has been described as a "gentleman" whose great passion was flying. He had celebrated his 85th birthday on Tuesday.

He was believed to be part of a syndicate which owned the plane, based at Shacklewell Farm near Empingham, and he had a distinguished Second World War record.

Mr Barker is well known for serving the community through his work in the Rotary Club of Bourne and for owning Eastern Farming Implements in Essendine Road, Carlby.

Rotary club vice-president Bob Brown said members were extremely upset by Mr Barker's death and sent their condolences to his widow Nora and her family.

Mr Barker was still an active member of the group and was president from 1976 to 1977. He had also received the Paul Harris Fellowship Award recognising his contribution to the community.

Mr Brown said: "Harry was very much a gentleman and I think everybody liked him because he was a really nice person. He will be a great loss to the club."

Fellow Bourne Rotary member Gordon Cochran said: "It's a sad loss and he will be greatly missed.

"I don't know why, but when I heard about the crash I knew it was Harry. It was just a feeling I had."

Rotarian Jo Sunner knew Mr Barker well. He said: "Harry was a founding member of the Rotary Club of Bourne. When I first joined he was one of the first members to tell me of Rotary's work and emphasised that it had to be fun.

"He had a cheeky sense of humour and always made you feel at ease.
"One of his great loves was flying and he died doing what he enjoyed. Sometimes he would go over to France for a meal and come straight back.

"He loved life. When he got into his eighties one of his sayings was that you have got to keep going. It is a huge shock that we have lost Harry and even more so for his other friends and family.

"He was a lovely, lovely man.

"I was only having lunch with him on Tuesday as he celebrated his 85th birthday. I just can't believe it."

Mr Barker was well respected through dealings with his business Eastern Farming Implements, which sold agricultural machinery along with providing maintenance and repairs.

Sue Green, group secretary for the Bourne branch of the National Farmers' Union, said Mr Barker was a past president of the Agricultural Engineers' Association.

She said: "He was a stalwart in the agricultural industry. He built up a reputable business and was well liked and respected in the trade and was a gentleman through and through.

"It was the first class service that he gave to farmers that enabled them to continue harvesting during that busy period.

"He will be greatly missed."

Linda Laughton, of Manor Farm Lane, Essendine, joined the firm as an office junior after leaving school in 1974 and stayed there for seven years before leaving in 1981.

She said: "Harry made me feel like one of the family. He was a very kind and generous person.

"He was a man who worked very hard to make his business succeed. Although he was managing director I can remember him putting on his overalls and going out to breakdowns in the fields in busy periods to help the mechanics.

"I left when I had my first child and have always exchanged Christmas cards. In last year's he put a note of fond memories of Jenny, his daughter, and myself in the office many years ago."

Dot Templeman, of High Street, Carlby, worked at Eastern Farm Implements for 35 years.

She said: "I worked for him from 1968 until four years ago when I was made redundant.

"He was just a wonderful man and he would do anything for anyone.

"He was a very good friend to me and to everyone who worked for him. He was just a gentleman through and through. I even went up with him in his aeroplane once.

"He and his wife are lovely people and I can't imagine what she's going through."