The Australian-born Canadian pilot who died when his seaplane crashed into a river north of Sydney on New Year's Eve flew to "feel closer to God", his mother says.
Gareth Morgan's mother Orlis Morgan told his funeral her son's religion played a part in his decision to became a pilot.
"He was a devout Christian and I believe that being in the air made him feel closer to God," she told the service in Sydney on Wednesday.
"There aren't enough words in the English language to begin to describe the depth of his soul, the warmth of his smile and the clear blue of his eyes.
"After 20 years of flying float planes in the far corners of the earth, you have come home."
Mr Morgan and five British tourists were killed on December 31 when the Sydney Seaplanes DHC-2 Beaver crashed into Jerusalem Bay on the Hawkesbury River.
His car keys were recovered by police at the crash site at the bottom of the Hawkesbury and handed to the family.
When they opened the car they found his bible on the passenger's seat, his father told around 100 mourners at the Waverley Jubilee Church.
"He read that every day," Dudley Morgan said.
"He was a man of God."
The father revealed his son had flown in the High Arctic in Canada as well as the tropics of Myanmar in a variety of challenging conditions in his 10,000 flying hours.
Sydney Seaplanes managing director Aaron Shaw earlier described Gareth as "a great man and a great pilot".
"We're just here today to celebrate Gareth's life and support his family," Mr Shaw said.
The 44-year-old died along with millionaire UK businessman Richard Cousins, his adult sons Edward and William, fiancee Emma Bowden and her 11-year-old daughter Heather.
Dudley Morgan said he learned of his son's death when two Canadian police officers arrived at the family home on Vancouver Island on the morning of New Year's Eve.
Gareth will be cremated in Australia before his remains are taken to Canada.
The Morgans, who arrived in Australia last week, told mourners they planned to hold another service for their son in Canada in the coming weeks.
The pilot was born in Paddington in Sydney and moved to Canada with his parents as a young boy.
He was described on Wednesday as a keen outdoorsman and talented soccer player who enjoyed skiing and hiking in the mountains of British Columbia.
Aviation experts are working to determine what caused the crash.
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