A ROYAL Air Force pilot who led a daring rescue mission received an Air Force Cross for courage at Buckingham Palace on Thursday.

Flight Lieutenant Timothy Eddy, aircraft commander of 99 Squadron — based at RAF Brize Norton — was decorated for great courage in the air.

He helped rescue 182 people in 2013 during the conflict in South Sudan.

He was keen to point out the rescue mission was not just a solitary act of heroism.

Mr Eddy was captain of an RAF C-17 transport aircraft on a mission to evacuate what was thought to be 45 British nationals from Juba, South Sudan, in December 2013, after fighting between government troops and rebel factions broke out.

With the country’s security situation quickly deteriorating, it became clear that 182 people required immediate evacuation — far more than the C-17’s normal maximum capacity of about 100.

Ten minutes from landing, and as his crew prepared for the additional passengers, Flt Lt Eddy learned that a Boeing 737 had crashed and blocked the runway at Juba’s airfield.

Running low on fuel and using binoculars to judge the situation as he flew overhead, Flt Lt Eddy made a steep approach and landed, braking as hard as he could to ensure the C-17 stopped ahead of the crashed aircraft.

Keeping all four engines running during aircraft refuelling, Flt Lt Eddy and his crew saw all 182 citizens on board.