96-Year-Old RAF Veteran Takes To The Skies In Surprise Trip

Bernard Rye piloted even Louis Mountbatten, the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, during his time in Rhodesia (Picture: SWNS).

A 96-year-old RAF hero took to the skies again almost 75 years after he last piloted an aircraft during the war.

Former Airman Bernard Rye thought his flying days were over until staff from his Bupa care home arranged a surprise trip as part of a wish-granting programme.

Mr Rye, with a volunteer pilot at the controls, took a 30-minute flight aboard a Piper PA Cherokee Six over Dorset and the Isle of Wight, accompanied by his son.

He even piloted Louis Mountbatten, the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, during his time in Rhodesia - now Zimbabwe.

Mr Rye talked about his experience of the RAF: “I had a thoroughly good time in the RAF and got to see everywhere from South America to Australia and the Middle East.

“It’s been over 70 years since I flew myself, and I never expected I’d be taking to the skies again.

"It took me back quite a way, and I’m very grateful to the team for making it happen.”

The campaign is being run across the group's care homes to help residents live life to the full, while ticking off their bucket list.

Ms McCarthy explained: “Everyone’s got ambitions that they’d like to achieve and being in a care home shouldn’t get in the way of that.

“We all love hearing Bernard’s stories from his days in the RAF and he absolutely lights up when he tells them. That’s why we wanted to help him relive it, and organised his surprise for him.”

She worked closely with fly2help – a charity specialising in aviation experiences – to set up the surprise.

An accountant by trade, his mathematical skills were put to use in his roles as a pilot and navigator, which involved calculating flight routes under severely testing conditions.

Following the war, Mr Rye left the RAF and returned to his career in accountancy, working for a chemical company.

It was here that he met his late wife Josephine, in 1955. Following a short courtship, they married a year later in a ceremony at All Saints Church, Woodford Green.

The pair had three sons, Howard, Jonathan Edward and Matthew Shearing. Today Bernard has 10 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

In 1969, the couple moved to Poole in Dorset, where Bernard took up a new finance job at a local company.

He has lived in the area ever since, moving to the care home in 2013.