“Yes, Dad, I Want to Be a Helicopter Pilot”: The Story of Captain Ray Poss

Some people spend a lifetime looking for what they love. Ray Poss found it for 50 cents.

That was the price of the helicopter ride that started his journey. He was still in high school when he began taking lessons in a Bell 47D, and his memoir remembers how it all began, with a simple line: "Yes, Dad, I want to be a helicopter pilot!"

Today, that young dreamer is Captain E. Ray Poss, our Chief Flight Instructor at Pelican. He has been in aviation since 1960, with more than 21,200 hours as a pilot and over 4,000 as a flight instructor. If you have ever looked up at an aircraft and felt something pull at you, this story is for you.

When the dream didn't go to plan

After his high school prom in 1960, Ray joined the Navy, hoping to fly helicopters. It didn't work out the way he planned.

Anyone chasing a big goal knows how that feels. Ray kept going, and years later he found himself flying the same Navy helicopters he had dreamed about at 18. The plan changed. The dream stayed.

Teaching young pilots bound for Vietnam

During the Vietnam War, Ray became a civilian instructor at Fort Wolters in Mineral Wells, Texas, the Army's primary helicopter school.

Think about what that job asks of a teacher. The young pilots in front of him were preparing for Vietnam, and what they learned from him really mattered. It is hard to imagine a better lesson in why good instruction counts.

The pilot you saw but never knew

If you ever watched M*A*S*H, you have seen Ray at work.

He got there by refusing to take no for an answer, asking 20th Century Fox again and again whether they needed stunt pilots. Owning three Bell helicopters didn't hurt. After he flew on Robert Altman's M*A*S*H movie, Fox called him back for the TV series.

For nine seasons, Ray was part of the show. He flew one of the helicopters in the famous opening titles, earned the nickname "Dangerous Dan" and even flew the plane in "5 O'Clock Charlie." He never received a screen credit. Millions of people watched him fly without ever knowing his name.

Showing up when it counted

The flights that say the most about Ray never made it to television.

On November 21, 1980, as fire tore through the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and people waited for help, Ray's was among the first rescue helicopters to respond. He flew for Flight for Life in Las Vegas. He fought wildfires in a Hughes 500 with a Bambi Bucket. He served as chief pilot for the North Slope Search and Rescue in Alaska, one of the toughest places to fly on earth.

His career also took him to the offshore platforms near Doha, Qatar, and to the Philippines, where he worked as an instructor and Designated Pilot Examiner. He trained helicopter pilots in Mexico and served as an FAA Pilot Examiner, helping the next generation earn their wings.

Helping pilots come home safely

Ray has trained more than 2,000 emergency medical and law enforcement pilots to fly with night vision. These are the crews who go out in the dark when someone needs them. He was also invited to FAA headquarters in Washington, D.C., to help draft the regulations for night vision flights.

After all those years, his respect for safety has only grown. Ray now flies at night over city lights only with night vision goggles or on an instrument flight plan. Ask him why, and the answer is simple: "I know better."

Why Ray's story matters to you

Ray has spent his life passing on what others once gave him. He says he hopes to spark in new pilots the same passion others sparked in him, and that he learned from his students as they learned from him. In 2024, he put his stories into a memoir, One Helicopter Pilot's Experiences. He sums it up better than we can: "After flying for 62 years, I still love it."

That love of flying is what we want every student to feel at Pelican. When you train here, you follow a curriculum Ray oversees, with instructors held to the standards he oversees. You join a school that has trained pilots at North Perry Airport since 1985, with more than 5,000 graduates from over 50 countries, in airplanes and helicopters.

Thank you, Captain Poss, for every pilot you have taught and every flight you have made safer. Wishing you clear skies and safe landings always.

You don't need a Hollywood contract or three helicopters to start. Ray's journey began with a 50-cent ride. Yours can begin with one conversation. Message us on WhatsApp for a free consultation and tell us about your dream.