Ferry was an Air Force fighter pilot, but became an expert in helicopters testing. He flew 10,800 hours in 125 different aircraft, with nearly 8,000 of those in helicopters. He was the first test pilot to fly the AH-64 Apache, and holds the record for the longest nonstop, unrefueled helicopter flight. Ferry earned his wings at Luke AFB in Arizona in 1945. With the end of World War II, the need for fighter pilots was dropping so he applied for the helicopter school in Texas. During the Korean War he flew 90 helicopter combat missions, including casualty evacuation and behind-enemy-lines actions. After Korea, Ferry attended Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB. He served as project pilot on the revolutionary Bell XV-3 which proved the tilt-rotor concept, and would lead to the XV-15 and V-22 Osprey. Ferry was the only pilot to fly all three of the XV series, the XV-1, XV-3 and XV-9. In 1964, he retired from the Air Force, joining Hughes Helicopters as chief test pilot. Ferry set world records which remain unchallenged today. In 1966 he flew a Hughes OH-6A from Culver City to Daytona Beach, alone, non-stop and non-refueled. He received the Sikorsky International Trophy for this flight. Ferry has also been honored with the Kincheloe Award as Test Pilot of the Year, the USAF Helicopter Pilot Association Award for test pilots, the Robertson Aviation Award and the Feinberg Award for Flight Test. Ferry was also inducted into the Walk of Honor, the test pilots Hall of Fame.
Inducted in 2015.
Portrait Location: Near R-44 and B-5 Brougham

Induction Video