A SPECIALIST RAF man who grew up in Flixton and Urmston died in the devastating plane crash in Afghanistan at the weekend that claimed 14 lives.
Sgt Gary Quilliam died with 13 other servicemen when the Nimrod MR2 came down on Saturday.
A technical fault is believed to have caused the spyplane' to crash 12 miles from its destination of Kandahar air base, as it supported a major offensive by Nato troops against the Taleban.
Gary, aged 41, died with 11 fellow air personnel from 120 Squadron based at RAF Kinloss in Moray, Scotland, a Royal Marine and a soldier.
It is the largest casualty toll from a single incident suffered by the Armed Forces since the Falklands conflict in 1982.
Gary lived in north Trafford until he achieved a lifelong ambition by joining the RAF in 1986 as airman aircrew.
He was married to Rayna and the couple had a 13-year-old daughter, Angela.
He grew up at the family homes at Westmorland Road, Urmston, and then at Snowdon Avenue, Flixton, with parents John and Marcelle, two sisters, Julia and Steph, and older brother Craig.
He was a former pupil at Urmston Junior School and Wellacre Secondary Modern.
He was a cadet with the 182 Air Squadron in Flixton where he got a flying scholarship and gained his pilot's licence at the age of just 17. He also gained bronze, silver and gold Duke of Edinburgh awards. He remembered his roots and gave talks to members of the squadron when he visited the area.
Before joining up he took A levels at South Trafford College.
His proud father, John, who moved to Southport with Marcelle in 2000, said: "He always wanted to join the RAF, it was all he wanted to do from when he read his first Biggles book when he was seven.
"He was a brilliant boy, he was very popular with everybody and had so many friends.
"He was very happy."
John added the family was pulling together to cope with Gary's death: "We are in a state of shock. We are holding together."
Gary was a member of a flying club where he flew privately. He was also a scuba diving instructor.
His brother, Craig, served in the Royal Navy in the Falklands conflict in 1982, on HMS Intrepid.
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