Amir Ehsan was very kind and gentle,” he said.

Aghakhani said Hosseini had been taking flying lessons for the last couple of years, as he was hoping to follow in his father’s footsteps.

“His dad was a pilot so he always had a dream of being a pilot like his dad,” he said.

Hosseini, who had immigrated to Canada from Iran, was married and didn’t have any children.

Friends and family expressed their shock, grief, and offered their condolences on Facebook to Hosseini’s wife and other family members.

“I’ve been really sad today,” wrote Maryam Hadavand.

“[It] really shocked us all. We’re fond of dear Amir. Condolences.”

Farshid Mostowfi said he recalled Hosseini’s love for flying.

“I vividly remember how passionate he was about flying.”

Niaz Tadayyon passed her condolences to his brother Amir and sister-in-law Sara.

“We hope that the love of family and friends will comfort and strengthen you in the days ahead,” she said.

Kayvan Pshghadam said no one knows what the family is going through. “Very heartbreaking,” he wrote. “If it’s this hard to believe and make peace with it for myself—no one knows what you guys are going through. Wish you all some answers.”

Jayme Hepfner, Springbank Air Training College president, released a statement Thursday expressing his “deepest sympathies” to the families of the victims and pledged his support to the investigation.