TRIBUTES TO VICTIM POUR IN
THE victim of last week’s crash was a “generous, kind and caring” RAF corporal.
Tributes have flooded in for 41-year-old Corporal Jonathan Bayliss, who worked as a mechanical engineer with the Red Arrows.
Sergeant Will Allen, a close colleague of Corporal Bayliss and the leader of the Red Arrows’ group of travelling support engineers for 2018, said: “Jon had the ability to motivate and inspire a team and those around him, no matter the rank, role or person. He was so proud to have been chosen to join the team for 2018 and, in being one of the small group of engineers whose job it was to fly in a Red Arrows jet, had fulfilled a schoolboy dream.
“Jon had a big a presence on the squadron and, with his wide beaming smile and dry humour, could lighten up any dull moment or lift spirits when needed.
“Both inside and outside of work, he was a generous, kind and caring man who could also always be relied upon.”
He added: “Having worked with Jon both at the Red Arrows and elsewhere in the Royal Air Force, I know how tirelessly he approached each task and was, what many would describe, a genuine grafter.”
Corporal Bayliss, originally from Kent, worked at Brands Hatch motor racing circuit before joining the RAF in 2001, spending time at RAF Coltishall in Norfolk and RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire as well as on overseas deployments. In 2017 he was a leader of the Red Arrows’ dye team, helping replenish the jets’ famous smoke systems, before being selected as one of the small group of engineers who travel with the Red Arrows.
Squadron Leader Richard Bland, senior engineering officer of the Red Arrows, said: “Everyone on the team has a great story about Jon and, without exception, he was known as a top bloke with an infectious smile, cheeky grin and possessing a dry sense of humour that had the ability to fill a room with laughter. At the same time, Jon was the ultimate professional and embodiment of excellence. He was a true inspiration.”
He added: “We have been touched by the messages of condolence received from the wider Air Force, from people who knew Jon across ranks and trades, and it is clear people loved him.
“As a skilled leader, ambassador for the Royal Air Force and knowledgeable technician, Jon had all of the attributes and qualities that define the Red Arrows.”
Wing Commander Andrew Keith, officer commanding for the Red Arrows, added: “He was a dedicated, skilled and experienced Royal Air Force engineer who we will miss deeply. Corporal Bayliss was a popular colleague and someone whom others looked up to, being able to draw inspiration from his knowledge and strength of character.”
Air Vice-Marshall Warren James said the incident was a “reminder of the risk present with all types of flying” but also of the “hard work and commitment shared by both air and ground crews alike”.
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson added that it was clear “he was an incredibly skilled engineer and held in the highest regard”.