A colleague has paid tribute to pilot Ted Girdler, who died when his plane plunged into the sea during an aerobatic display.

Mr Girdler, from Kent, was killed when the Czech L-29 Delfin failed to pull out of a stunt and crashed at the Airbourne show in Eastbourne on Friday.

The 63-year-old former Red Arrows pilot had performed aerobatics for more than 30 years.

Wing Commander Peter Kennedy, a close friend and colleague from London Manston Airport where Mr Girdler ran a flying school, said those who knew him were "stunned" by the tragedy.

He described him as a fit and active man for his age as well as an experienced pilot and loving family man.

He said: "Ted was a very young 63-year-old man. He was a fit and healthy man. A month or so ago he had passed the medical. He had a fitness regime and didn't smoke.

"He had a very charismatic personality. You never like to speak ill of the dead but with Ted I have no difficulties in saying there's nothing bad to say. He was a decent and clean-living man. He lived life to the full."

The cause of the crash is not yet known but if it was a technical fault Mr Kennedy believes his friend would have deliberately crashed over sea rather than risk injuring spectators on the ground.

He said: "Knowing Ted he would have made certain decisions in a split second such as where are people, where's the crowd.

"He would have wanted to make sure the plane landed away from everyone."

Mr Girdler had not planned to take part in Airbourne 2000 but stepped in at the last minute as a replacement for another pilot, Chris Hudson.

None of his family witnessed the dramatic crash though his son Brian was on his way to the show at the time of his death.

Mr Kennedy said: "This was fortunate. At least his grandchildren did not see their grandad die.

"Brian was taken away by police and shown the video of what happened."

Police divers have still not located the wreckage of the jet which crashed in front of more than 40,000 onlookers.

Air accident investigators and police believe it may be some time before they discover why the pilot lost control after performing a diving roll, described by experts as a relatively low-risk stunt.