Obituaries Alex Wiggins Wiggy as he was more generally known died after a long fight with lymphoma of the central nervous system. Alexs first passion was motorsport and he was a go-kart enthusiast, with aspirations to be in F1. Suffering a defeat in a race by Juan Pablo Montoya, of Williams F1 fame, Alex turned to the skies and his other passion: flying. He started training with Cabair in 2001, on the Diamond Katana, making many lifelong friendships. His first job was towing gliders at the London Gliding Club in Dunstable, living in a caravan on site. In 2003, he joined FlyBe on the Dash 8 fleet based at Birmingham, before moving to First Choice on the B757 and B767. Alex believed in seizing opportunities, becoming a flight safety officer and a regular on the Skyservice and Sunwing winter detachments to Calgary and Montreal. By 2017, he was a captain on the B737 with TUI, and a respected member of the TUI community. As an aviator, you could describe Alex as old school; he believed in flying the jet manually and performing visual approaches when able. Keep it simple, stupid (KISS) was his mantra. As a person and a friend, Alex was low maintenance, never created a fuss, was always there for a friendly chat, could be trusted to do the right thing even when nobody was looking and he had a great sense of humour. Alex was resilient throughout his life and his usual phrase was man up. On receiving his diagnosis of cancer in February 2019, he did exactly that manned up and fought the good fight. He remained positive and good humoured throughout. Alex was passionate about blood donations and, should you wish to support a cause, please donate to www.bloodwise.org.uk He is survived by his mother Elaine, his sister Lauren and his partner Rachel. By Captain Jamie Ritchie-Butler Captain Janet Alexander (1963-2020) Janet Alexanders first step in her aviation career was as a receptionist at a flying club in Biggin Hill in the mid-1980s. She was quickly bitten by the flying bug and started coaching the instructors in CPL-level maths in exchange for flying lessons. She progressed through the self-improver route and, after spending a short time in VIP and air-taxi work, gained her first commercial job flying night mail for BAC Express at Cardiff. She spent several years at BRAL/BA Connect, during which time she became very active in the BALPA Company Council. Her energy, determination, desire for fair play, and compassion for others made her ideally suited to the position of CC rep. In 2007, Janet joined bmibaby, and then West Atlantic. Captain Tom Heenan, West Atlantics DFO, said: Janet joined West Atlantic in November 2013, when the airline had just a few B737 aircraft. As the airline expanded, she was key in reinforcing the company culture and nurturing new joiners. Janet assisted many new pilots and was enthusiastically involved in being the line trainer on new pilots first commercial sectors. Janet was well known in crew rooms across Europe and appreciated by her friends at West Atlantic. She served the company to the end. Flying was only part of Janets full and active life. She was a trustee for a charitable foundation, which took her to far-flung places. She was a great traveller and particularly loved Africa. She possessed huge energy and a zest for life. Last year, Janet was diagnosed with cancer, a battle she faced with great courage and pragmatism, but she sadly died on Easter Saturday, with husband Martin and sisters Maggie and Sue at her side. Janet was an extraordinary individual, who did not waste a day of her life. Her energy and compassion will be missed by her family and countless friends and colleagues whose lives she touched. As one of those friends, I am grateful and proud to have known this rare spirit. By Captain Lynne Edmonds Captain Derrick Creigh (1923-2020) Born in 1923, Captain Derrick Creighs flying career spanned the years of greatest change in aviation. He started flying in 1940 with the RAF, on Tiger Moths, before crossing the Atlantic to continue his training with the US Navy, flying Texans and Catalinas. He then went back to the UK for service on flying boats such as the Solent, Hythe, Bermuda and Sunderland. After the war, Derrick joined BOAC on flying boats, the so called golden age of luxury travel, with 56-day return trips to Australia. Leaving the flying boats, he converted on to the DC3 with Aden Airways, Sudan Airways and Arab Airways. Returning to the UK and BOAC/BA, he flew Argonauts (with Norman Tebbit as his first officer), Comets, Boeing 707s and, finally, the 747 his dream aircraft. Derricks final flight was a 747 trip from Chicago, completing 20,000 hours. In 1972, he married Mary, whom he had met when she was cabin crew on a Comet flight to Singapore, enjoying 48 wonderful years together. After enforced retirement in 1976 because of BA restructuring, he helped Mary run her boarding school at Brereton Hall. When it closed, they set about restoring the hall before retiring in 1997. I do not know anyone in their 90s who stayed so intelligent and interesting, or maintained such a level of technical knowledge and skills, as Derrick. Like many pilots, he loved gadgets and technology. From cin filming to the first digital cameras, he mastered them all. We even flew drones together just before he died. Derricks career, though spanning remarkable years, is not the defining message of his life. He was a gentleman, a generous man of integrity and honour, who was loved by young and old. He leaves behind his wife Mary and his daughters Helen and Paula. It was a privilege to have known him. By Captain Colin Budenberg O B ITUAR I E S Alex Wiggins (1980-2020)