Ray Murphy, Former FAA Inspector.

[Gordy]

It is with sadness that I report the passing of Ray Murphy.

Those who went to Helicopter Adventures in Concord may have known and or flown with him. He was the principal FAA inspector on ALL of the school's certificates including the part 133/135/137 and all the approved training courses. You may remember myself and Ray spending many hours either flying together or sitting at the flight line.

He was the fairest inspector I ever met as well as being a true gentleman and excellent pilot. On a personal note, he was my mentor and good friend, he is sadly missed.

Ray started his career in the US Army as a Huey pilot, and was the pilot who flew the injured spectators to hospital in the Huey at the Reno Air Race crash a while back. Here is the interview of Ray after the Reno disaster:

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Funeral services will be on January 16th---details to follow.

[GS Pilot]

What a loss. That's the genuine article right there.

I remember standing on the ramp at CCR, Ray had styrofoam cup of coffee in one hand, cigarette in the other.

We watched a CFI and student, both female, walk out to a 300CB; preflight, start-up, and hover taxi out. After they departed, he turned to me and asked "Do you know what FAR they just violated?"

I (a freshly minted CFI) stammered for an answer, rewinding the last few minutes in my mind, looking for the tiniest infraction. Wondering what his keen eyes had detected. I was stumped, and admitted it.

By the look he gave me, I could tell I had missed something obvious.

He took a drag off his cigarette, looked at me and said,
"It's prohibited to operate unmanned aircraft in controlled airspace".
:D

RIP Mr. Murphy

[Nubian]

Ray must have been the most pleasant guy I ever got checked by.
This tall old "dude" in Cowboy booths,leatherjacket with the coffee and sigarettes was a real character, a great and fair man.


R.I.P Ray!

[Winnie]

Sad to hear!

He did my initial IFR ride in 1999. He took more smoke-breaks than anyone I have ever known, and I smoked at the time.

We did the ride in a 300Cb, from Concord to Sacramento to Rio Vista and back.

"You did good" he said as soon as the skids were down, then he was out! had to go for a smoke I guess...

He was a great man and he will be missed!
Harald