Vigil held for pilot killed in Colonie plane crash

COLONIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A vigil was held for Natalie Gillis, the young pilot killed on Monday when her small plane went down just after takeoff from the Albany International Airport. Dozens came together at the crash site in Colonie near Maxwell Road.

A small memorial was set up earlier in the day Thursday by Gillis's family and the first responders who were first on the scene of the crash. The organizer of the vigil never knew Gillis, but he also was a pilot and felt connected to her in more ways than just that.

"What drew me to Natalie the most was that I also am a photographer. I own a small business that I do drone photography with, and it's just an aerial photography business," vigil Marawan Bakir said. "So seeing Natalie's photos online and learning more about her and watching all the YouTube videos about her and her personality really just drew me to her as a person."

Bakir is also a flight instructor in the area, and he said Gillis's tragedy has really shaken the aviation community.