Trevor Morse, 48, broke off from following the Warwickshire hunt on Monday morning to drive to an airfield where two alleged anti-hunt protesters who had been following and monitoring them were re-fuelling.
It is believed he wanted to challenge them over their behaviour and allegations they were swooping down aggressively and frightening the horses.
Mr Morse was hit by the mini-helicopter and died instantly. It is thought he was decapitated by its blades.
As two men were continuing to be questioned on suspicion of murder, hunting leaders called for calm as tensions in the already hate-fuelled relationship between hunt supporters and protesters rose further.
Stephen Lambert, chairman of the Council of Hunting Associations, said now is not the time for further conflict. He said: “We would like everyone to keep a cool head out of respect for Trevor’s family.”
Before Mr Morse was killed, the hunt had made an official complaint to the Civil Aviation Authority over the gyrocopter, which it claimed had been following them and another hunt for three weeks, flying low and scaring people and animals.
The protesters are believed to belong to the group Protect Our Wild Animals, a monitoring group which collects evidence of hunts to present to the police and parliament.
Hunt supporter killed by gyrocopter after confronting animal rights activists
