Wiltshire flying instructor who was honoured with flypast dies

Tony Hughes' wife Sue said he wants people to get tested for prostate cancer early

A former flying instructor who was raising awareness of testing early for prostate cancer has died of the disease.

Tony Hughes, 68, from Calne, Wiltshire, passed away on Thursday morning, his family said.

Several aircraft took part in a flypast of Prospect Hospice, where he was staying, to honour him on Tuesday.

Mr Hughes' wife, Sue, said he wanted to encourage others to get tested early because "it was too late for him".

The former RAF pilot ran the Wiltshire Microlight Centre and was a two-time European hang gliding champion.

In a tribute posted on Facebook, a spokesperson for the centre said: "It is with great sadness we announce that Tony Hughes, owner of the Wiltshire Microlight Centre, passed away peacefully in The Prospect Hospice."

Mr Hughes worked as a pilot for decades

They added: "Since being diagnosed in June 2022, Tony has campaigned to encourage all men over 50 to seek a PSA test from their GP so that any prostate problems can be diagnosed early and treated accordingly.

"We would like to thank the staff at the hospice for all the loving care they gave Tony in the last week of his life and also to thank the 13 pilots who took part in the Flypast over the hospice on Tuesday.

"It was an amazing spectacle organised by Julian Midder, White Horse Aviation, and was enjoyed by the patients and staff at the Hospice."

Speaking on Tuesday, Ms Midder, said: "Tony was a pilot above all and that was his first love.

"People came from far and wide to give him a wave."

Hospice nurse Tina Baker added that the flypast was "incredibly important" and was "about recognising who the person is and who they were before they were poorly".