Ian Page said Max Quartermain took charge of a charter trip for a friend’s surprise 60^th birthday party about 12 years ago.

Over eight days Mr Quartermain flew the group from Moorabbin Airport to locations as far flung as Broken Hill, Innamincka, Birdsville and Coober Pedy.

“I know it was a paid trip, but the way he went out of his way to look after us was absolutely exceptional,” Mr Page said.

“I can’t speak highly enough; he was just a gentleman through and through.”

Mr Quartermain and his four American passengers died on Tuesday when the twin-engine light plane crashed into the DFO shopping complex next to Essendon Airport.

Wodonga pilot Robert Thomson realised after the tragedy he had looked through the same Beechcraft King Air about a month ago in Bendigo.

Mr Thomson had asked the pilot, not Mr Quartermain on that occasion, if he could show the plane to some friends.

“When I saw it on the news and the registration,” Mr Thomson said.

“It was that particular aircraft that crashed.

“It’s pretty devastating news, you don’t want to hear of accidents like that.”

Mr Thomson, a pilot for more than 30 years, said his brief viewing a month ago had raised no concerns about the Beechcraft King Air.

“They’re a very reliable aircraft,” he said.

Mr Page and Mr Thomson had first discussed the accident while at Albury Airport Tuesday morning.

Mr Page said he was shocked to learn later it was Mr Quartermain who had been killed.

“He was a very, very friendly person before we even got off the ground at Moorabbin,” Mr Page said.

“Max arranged everything, he was like a godfather to us all, he arranged accommodation … cooked all our food.

“In those days, where the plane stopped, they put the tents up; he did all that for the six of us.”

Mr Page said as a passenger he felt safe during Mr Quartermain’s various flights.

“Every place we went to, he explained how he was going to come into this particular airstrip,” he said.

Once the group flew into “the back of nowhere in NSW”.

“What really stuck in my mind was he said, ‘Look, I’m going to ring the publican up at the hotel to come and get rid of the kangaroos off this runway’,” Mr Page said.

“That was really an experience, I can tell you.”