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We are indeed talking about the same person.
Your post made me think again. I had heard that he had died but cannot confirm that as a fact.
I think the aircraft you were sitting in was a smaller cousin of the Hudson. I also had the pleasure of a short flight in that aircraft in about 1970 or 71. He was in Hobart at the time looking at yachts in the Sydney to Hobart race.
There were, I think, a couple of Ryans which were flown with great verve. My memory of the man sitting in the Ryan was with a fur-lined helmet which rather gave him the appearance of some Russian WW11 ace.