Colin McRae

Britain’s first World Rally Champion, Colin McRae, was killed in a helicopter crash in September. The machine came down near his home in Lanarkshire, where he had a helipad, and burst into flames. Also killed were McRae’s five-year old son and two family friends. Air accident investigators are trying to establish why the Squirrel aircraft, owned and piloted by McRae, came to grief. In a hugely successful career, McRae won 25 World Championship rallies, took the world title in 1995, and was awarded the MBE. See our appreciation on p16.