Caboolture airfield crash victims David and Jan Maddern mourned

A couple killed in a tragic air crash on Friday were popular members of their tight-kit community, with friends describing them as “caring, compassionate and generous”.

A couple killed in a tragic crash were popular members of their tight-kit community with friends describing them as “caring, compassionate and generous”.

Commercial pilot David Maddern and his retired yoga teacher and author wife Jan died when two small planes collided on the Caboolture airfield on Friday.

The much-loved grandparents had lived overseas for some time and had moved back from Dubai about five years ago.

Mr Maddern was a pilot for more than 25 years and Ms Maddern had previously written multiple yoga books, was a cooking teacher and taught yoga in Dubai.

Jan Maddern. Picture: Supplied.

A close friend told The Courier-Mail that the Clayfield Yoga community were reeling from the incident.

“Jan was a real character, she always loved cooking and creating for her friends and David was ... a big tall man but full of life and loved his flying,” she said.

“He just would endlessly talk about flying. I have a nephew who is learning to fly and David met with him a couple of months ago and offered to take him up in his plane and was going to let him fly.

“That’s the sort of person he was, caring, compassionate, generous as well.”

She said the couple were looking forward to going away in the plane Mr Maddern had built in his garage because they hadn’t been for a while.

“We are just shocked and devastated by it,” she said.

“Jan was a blessing to us all and we all very much the better for having known her.”

David Maddern and his wife Jan were killed in the collision. (Facebook image)

Ms Maddern was loved by the yoga studio she attended in Brisbane.

“My first time at the yoga centre which was four years ago,” the close friend said.

“She came over and said ‘you’re new here would you like to get a coffee with us’ – That’s just the sort of person she was.

“She was wonderful, kind, compassionate, generous, always there when you needed her.”

Since the incident the yoga studio have come together to mourn Ms Maddern.

“She was amazing and I took a candle this morning to a yoga class,” she said.

“It was very teary during the class and we lit the candle at the back of the room on her mat.

“We were all going away next week to the writers festival. We all cancelled that because we couldn’t bare to do it without her.”

Clayfield Yoga studio instructor Lucia Broekhuizen said the loss of Ms Maddern had been felt across the community.

“Jan and her friends would often go for coffee after 9.30am practice,” Ms Broekhuizen said.

“She was very bubbly at the beginning of the class chatting away with the community.”

The couple also had a tight-knit community with their neighbours where they would have drinks in the street at sundown.

Since the incident the neighbours have gathered together to have drinks and remember the couple.