Ray Ledlie qualified as a pilot in the SAAF at Central Flying School Dunnottar in 1966 and four months later as a SAAF instructor on Harvard aircraft.
In March 1968, he qualified as a pilot and instructor on Alouette 11 and 111 helicopters at 17 Squadron Training Flight, based at Air Force Base Ysterplaat.
In 1970, Ray joined SAA and qualified as a Boing 707 and 737 aircraft pilot. Five years later, he left SAA and joined Court Helicopters, where he flew Sikorsky 58, 62, and 61 helicopters based in Mauritius, Argentina and Spain.
In 1983, Ray started his own business and, for the next 12 years, owned and ran various businesses in divergent fields.
By 1994, the call of aviation got the better of him. Ray Joined NAC (National Airways Corporation), initially as GM of the helicopter division, and later was moved to head up a new division that was called ‘Contracts’, later changing the name to International Operations, where he and his team dealt with the United Nations Peacekeeping, World Food, the ICRC, the International Committee of the Red Cross based in Geneva, as well as other airlines. Ray’s team had aircraft on 17 bases in 11 countries when I left in 2006.
His next successful endeavour was when he started Kershal Aviation, an online pilot training supplier with his son, which he still owns.