Kybong light plane crash victims identified as Christopher 'Bob' Turner and Barry Irvine

The men killed during a mid-air collision between two light aircraft north of the Sunshine Coast have been identified as local glider Christopher "Bob" Turner and pilot Barry Irvine.

The single-occupant glider and ultra-light aircraft collided yesterday about 2.45pm at Gympie Airport in Kybong, about 40 kilometres north-west of Noosa Heads.

Turner, 80, and Irvine, 77, both died at the scene.

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Residents struggling to come to terms with the tragedy remembered the older man as a beloved local glider.

Gliding Australia vice president Lindsay Mitchell said Turner was a "quiet gentleman who loved his sport".

"He would've just gone up there to enjoy himself," Mitchell said.

"... I suppose we're just stunned and coping."

It's understood Turner was in the air just 20 minutes before the collision occurred.

"We heard a large bang; I thought that doesn't sound good," witness John Kenman said.

"I didn't really know, I never imagined the two might've collided."

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Exactly where Irvine's Kappa KP 2U light plane had taken off from and was heading to remained unclear.

It's understood no calls were made to the Gympie aerodrome, and how the two managed to be in the same place at the same time will be investigated.

Gympie Regional Council Mayor Glen Hartwig said it was "difficult" to determine what caused the collision.

"You just feel for the families involved," he said.

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Debris from the aircrafts was thrown hundreds of metres apart through nearby paddocks.

Police said they would remain on scene for some time collecting evidence.