President attends pilot's funeral

Air Corps Captain Derek Furniss, who was killed in a navigation training exercise on Monday, was a remarkable man who packed a lot into his short life, his memorial service heard today.

President Mary McAleese, the Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea, the chief of staff of the Irish Defence Forces Lieutenant General Dermot Earley and General Officer Commanding the Air Corps, Brigadier General Ralph James were among the nearly 1,000 mourners who attended the service at the St John the Evangelist Church in Ballinteer Road, Dublin at 12pm.

The Taoiseach was represented by his Aide-de-Camp Captain Michael Treacy.

Capt Furniss is survived by his parents, Paula and Owen Furniss, two sisters, Jane and Susan, and partner Lesley Byrne and her daughter Rebecca.

Capt Furniss (32) from Ballinteer was killed along with Cadet David Jevens, a single man from Glynn, Co Wexford, died during a low-flying visual navigation training exercise from Casement Aerodrome to Maam, Co Galway on Monday.

Commandant Jim Gavin, Commander of the Flying Training School, told the mourners that Capt Furniss had learned to fly a military jet before he learned to fly. "He was a very high achiever at a very young age," he said.

He later revelled in the military training and by the time of his death more than half of all Air Corps personnel had been trained by him.

He became the chief flying instructor in 2005 and had seized the opportunity to transform their military training operation. He was also the Air Corps low-flying aerobatic pilot for five years.

"As an officer Capt Furniss pursued the qualities of justice and truth, dependability, endurance and enthusiasm, loyalty," he said.

"He took a bit more than his fair share of the blame and a little less than his fair share of the credit more than anybody we know."

He had been a happy a man doing a job and had the respect of his colleagues and friends. His philosophy could be expressed in two words "follow me", Comdt Gavin explained.

He went on to say that few people had seen Capt Furniss so happy as he was in the time leading up to his tragic death.
He was due to go to Chad on the peacekeeping mission in the New Year and would have made a success of that too, he added.

Various items were brought to the altar to celebrate his many achievements in life. They included a black belt in karate he got before he was 17, a scouting necktie, the thesis he wrote for his first class degree in aeronautics and management, his singlet from the Rathfarnham Athletics club and a Leinster rugby jersey.

The medal he got for running the Dublin Marathon last year was placed in the breast pocket of his uniform.

Capt Furniss's coffin was carried on a gun carriage afterwards to Kilmashogue Cemetery.

Capt Furniss is survived by his parents, Paula and Owen Furniss, two sisters, Jane and Susan, and partner Lesley Byrne. Cadet Jevens is survived by his parents, Liz and Donal Jevens, siblings Sarah and Christopher and girlfriend Niamh.