8 December 2022
In a week that’s already seen two aviation heroes pass on, there’s news that Rufus Heald, former RAF pilot and contributor to FLYER, and Roger Hayes, who ran the Royal Aero Club’s air race training courses, have also both died.
A statement from Rufus’s son Nigel said, “It is with considerable sadness to inform you that my father, Rufus, passed away last Thursday afternoon at the age of 97.
“Dad joined the Royal Air Force in 1942 and learnt to fly on the Empire Flying Training Scheme in Rhodesia, then returning to the UK to eventually do the Spitfire OCU before being posted to India flying the Tempest II with 20 Squadron in 1947. [That was] followed by a posting to 213 Squadron in the Middle East flying the Tempest Mk VI.
“1951 saw him flying Vampires at Driffield followed by a posting to Hong Kong [where he] survived a very spectacular crash in a Vampire at Kai Tak following a engine failure.
“Whilst in Hong Kong he was then sent to Leconfield to do a QWI course on the Vampire/Meteor then returning to Hong Kong.
“1954 saw a return to the UK flying a mixture of Vampires and Meteors including an ejection from a Vampire T11 when the engine caught fire.
“From [RAF] Valley he went to RAF Wildenwrath as Station Adjutant in 1958 for 3 years and then back to the UK for refresher training before going to RAF Strubby to instruct on Vampires/Meteors at the College of Air Warfare.
“After Strubby a ground tour in MOD Whitehall followed where he held the post of ‘Wing Commander Spry’ writing a monthly article for Air Clues. From there he went to Exeter as OC 4 AEF for 2 tours before joining 229 OCU at Chivenor on the Hunter Sim and as CSRO.
“Following Chivenor’s move to Brawdy, dad was posted to RAF Mountbatten as Trials Officer for the three services and as a Staff Instructor with the School of Combat Survival and Rescue before retiring in 1980 at 55.
“Post RAF dad instructed in the civilian world until finally hanging up his helmet in 2008 at the age of 83 having accumulated some 15,279 hours flying some of the worlds most iconic types.”
FLYER’s Ian Seager said, “I can’t remember how I met Rufus, maybe it was the {FLYER] list, maybe it was Exeter, maybe when he did some writing for us. He was always willing to listen, talk and to patently give advice.
“His ‘Cowardice prolongs active life’ line has served me well over the years. RIP Rufus”.
Roger Hayes, air race winner and trainer
Former RAF pilot Roger Hayes died on Monday. Roger will always be associated with the air races staged by the Royal Aero Club Records Racing and Rally Association (3Rs), winning the Kings Cup three times. He ran Skysport-UK, specialising in advanced handling skills including air racing and formation flying training, using a Beagle Pup 150.
