Flt Lt M A Rufus Heald MBE 14/7/1925 - 1/12/2022
 

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 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 surviving 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 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.

The funeral will be on December 19th in Plymouth and if anyone that served with or knew Dad would like to attend please message me accordingly.

Nigel Heald

My condolences to you and your family at this terrible time, blue skies..

My condolences to you and yours. Blue skies.

So sorry to hear the news Nigel, I knew of your father through occasional articles in magazines and I recently re-read my copy of "Rufus Remembers" which I recommend to anyone with an interest in flying...

RIP.

My first ever flight was in a 4AEF Chipmunk with Rufus at the helm. Later on I chatted with him on many occasions in the Exeter Flying Club. A wonderful man. My condolences to you and your family Nigel.

I never met the gentleman but Rufus Remembers, bought at Conington not many years ago, is a very good flying book.

I was attached to 4AEF to hold during my flying training, and spent many hours with Rufus in the air and on the ground. Once, he introduced me to low level battle formation over Dartmoor as we transited to Plymouth to fly cadets, and on another occasion to night formation on a delayed return to Exeter from Yeovilton. Never be allowed, these days! His tales from his time as Wg Cdr Spry were highly entertaining. My condolences to you and your family.

Pobjoy had several commercial checks with Rufus over the years at Exeter, Plymouth, and Lands End. Always a pleasure to fly with him and do 'the stories bit' afterwards.
I wish I had had more time to explore his Tempest days, although he had plenty of 'interesting times' on the Vampire and Meteor.

Rufus was one of my first flying instructors when I was doing my fixed-wing PPL at Exeter Flying Club around 1979-1981. I remember him as a very good instructor and very encouraging and friendly. He gave me a good start to a flying career that is now approaching its end. It strikes me that I am now older than he was when he was instructing me - to me as a 19 year old, he seemed ancient!
It appears he had a life well-lived. Regards…

I flew with Rufus whilst completing my PPL with Exeter Flying Club. Many years later I visited Exeter in a C130J and wandered over to the club to say hello, he expressed an interest in seeing my aircraft so we walked over accompanied by another instructor. He’d barely had time to look around when a security man arrived in his vehicle and said that they weren’t allowed to be there, despite my saying I was the captain and invited them he was adamant they had to leave. Rufus expressed his opinion of the security man in rather colloquial terms and promptly was arrested… I decided it was probably time for us to leave!

A true character and a fine pilot, RIP Rufus.

Did an 1179 with Rufus in a Seneca which he knew I had never flown before and would never fly again……..it was an absolute hoot !

My condolences to you, Nigel (from another Nigel). Your father's contribution and presence at Exeter Flying Club with others from his generation was a rich gift to me, personally and to others. We were lucky to learn from them.

Condolences to you and the Family. Held with 4AEF - after the Gnat course - for most of 1970. Your Dad was "old School" and had lived a marvellous life in the Air Force as you know. I enjoyed my time with him and remember his many flying stories. Privilege to have known him and been guided by him.

Nigel, I have only just picked up on this and very sad to read. May I please add my very belated condolences to those above, having met Rufus, like many others, through Exeter Flying Club in the Ted King days. Rufus did my initial IMC test back in 1982. My only recollection of that, apart from the relaxed nature and many stories, is doing a practice pan somewhere over Exmoor. He was determined to do it as one of his mates was manning D & D at the time. Many years later I read 'Rufus remembers' and was both entertained and heartened to know that I had flown with such a character.