I've had a couple of my own very highly respected mentors over the years speak highly of Ron East as far as flying standards were concerned.
My mentors always said that you truly earned every qualification he was testing you for.
He was before my time flying wise - but a customer of the bank I used to work for after he retired and was always very pleasant to me.
At 93 he had a good innings...
Regards.
VH-MLE