Funeral For Red Arrows Pilot Killed In Lincolnshire

The funeral of a Red Arrows pilot who died after being ejected from his aircraft at the team's Lincolnshire base will take place.

Flight Lieutenant Sean Cunningham, 35, from Coventry died in hospital after he was ejected from his Hawk T1 jet on the ground at RAF Scampton on November 8.

His public funeral will be held on Thursday morning at Coventry Cathedral, followed by a private cremation to be attended by family members.

His parents Jim and Monika Cunningham, from Coventry, will be attending the service along with older sister Nicky and his Red Arrows team mates.

Members of the public who wish to pay their respects to the pilot have also been invited to join the congregation at the cathedral.

The Iraq War veteran was the second Red Arrows pilot to be killed in less than three months after Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging, 33, died in an air show crash in Dorset in August.

Flt Lt Cunningham's family have said the pilot had dreamed of flying RAF fast jets since childhood.

He joined the RAF in 2000 and flew Tornado GR4s during the Iraq War as part of 617 The Dambusters Squadron based at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland. He joined the Red Arrows in 2010 and was this year promoted to the important Red Five position in the aerobatics team.

An inquest was opened and adjourned earlier this month at Lincoln Registration Office while investigations continue into the pilot's death.