He was one of two men killed in the crash; the other being US cinematographer Mike deGruy.

Mr Wight was renowned as a keen pilot and was flying his Robinson R44 helicopter when it crashed during take off from the Jasper’s Brush airstrip four kilometres south of Berry, NSW.

A Culcairn neighbour of Mr Wight, Ross Smith, said that Mr Wight hadn’t spent a great deal of time in the community as he had always been travelling somewhere.

Having supplied hay for Mr Wight’s cattle over the past 12 years Mr Smith had got to know him reasonably well and said he had always found him to be a “Decent and genuine man - a larrikin.”

“He (Mr Wight) wouldn’t have had an enemy in the world I don’t reckon. He was a down to earth guy.

“We got on pretty well; he was a very conscientious man and very adventurous as well.”

Mr Smith said that over the last few years they haven’t seen him around as much since he has been filming but fondly remembered the jokes they shared.

“We always knew when he was around when we saw his helicopter,” he said, “I heard that once he even landed at the Morven hotel!”

According to Alister Grierson, a friend and colleague on “Sanctum”, Mr Wight split his time between Melbourne and his property in Culcairn.

Mr Grierson said that farming was Mr Wight’s real love.

Before moving into films Mr Wight was an agricultural scientist; a career that took him underwater and led him to underwater

cinematography, his new career and

friendships with Oscar award winning

filmmakers.

Mr Wight worked closely with Oscar

winning director James Cameron on several projects including helping to design the

technology behind “Avatar”.

Andrew Wight, 52, leaves behind his wife Monica and infant son Ted.