From the M*A*S*H Library 42: “One Helicopter Pilot’s Experiences”

What is it?

Poss, Captain E. Ray, Jr. One Helicopter Pilot’s Experience. LaVergne, TN: Lightning Source LLC, 2024.

Why should M*A*S*H fans care?

Captain Poss was the pilot (and owner) of the helicopters used in M*A*S*H seasons one through nine. He also piloted the plane in the episode “5 O’clock Charlie” (02×02), and appeared in a number of other episodes.

As a M*A*S*H fan, what part(s) should I read?

Poss’s career as a pilot is incredible, and I recommend reading the whole book! But he does dedicate one chapter to M*A*S*H that is about nine pages long.

TL;DR Review

You’ve probably never heard of Captain E. Ray Poss, Jr., but you’ve definitely seen him if you are a fan of M*A*S*H. Poss has been a pilot for over 62 years, and he not only flew the Bell helicopters we see throughout the series, he owned them! In his memoir, Poss recounts his time on M*A*S*H, and his career as a pilot that has taken him on missions and adventures across the United States and around the world.

Full Review

Poss’s book is very readable, and goes in chronological order with stories from his life and his 62+ years as a pilot. He discusses the first time he ever flew in a helicopter in 1959, and how he knew then that was what he wanted to do. While still in high school, he began taking lessons in a Bell 47D, and after graduating high school, he joined the Navy. Poss doesn’t just have his license to fly helicopters. He can also fly planes, and he has flown all over the world. He talks about his time in Nicaragua, Mexico, the Middle East, the Philippines, and more. In the United States, he has flown through the Grand Canyon, in Alaska, and he has fought fires and helped perform air rescues. He has flown just about everything, and his stories are fun to read. If you have listened to his interview on M*A*S*H Matters, then you know he is a good storyteller.

Of course, Poss has experience with M*A*S*H, but how he got to M*A*S*H is a great story. His persistence in asking whether 20th Century Fox needed stunt pilots landed him the job flying Bell helicopters in Robert Altman’s movie M*A*S*H. It also didn’t hurt that he personally owned three Bell helicopters that they used for filming. He worked on the movie, and he discusses his experience in the book. Poss confirms that there was a helicopter that crashed during the filming of the movie. Thankfully no one was hurt, and Altman worked the crashed helicopter into the movie. Poss impressed Altman with his flying skills, and Fox called him again when M*A*S*H was developed as a series for CBS.

When he joined the television series, he became a semi-regular. We’ve all seen Poss on M*A*S*H since he is flying one of the helicopters in the title sequence. He was given the nickname “Dangerous Dan” in the series, and he appears in a number of episodes including “Dear Dad” (01×12), “Kim” (02×06), Adam’s Ribs (03×11), and countless more. Anytime the chopper is on the helipad or flying overhead in a scene, Poss is likely in the cockpit. He was also the pilot of the plane in the episode “5 O’clock Charlie” (02×02)! Poss remembers his time on M*A*S*H fondly, and he greatly appreciated how the show runners relied on his expertise to help coordinate scenes in which the helicopters or planes were needed. He says that when Alan Alda directed, he allowed Poss to carryout whatever was needed for the scene.

The sad thing about Poss’s time on the M*A*S*H is that he was never credited. He was a member of SAG, and he even had a line in “Adams Ribs,” but he still didn’t appear in the credits. Poss’s IMDb page only lists the M*A*S*H movie, and even that says that he was “uncredited.” The Bell helicopters are probably as synonymous with M*A*S*H as Hawkeye and the Swamp, and Poss is the man who not only flew them, but owned them. Ryan and Jeff interviewing him was great as he is finally getting recognition for the work he did more than 40 years ago. I highly recommend listening to his interview on Episode 131 of M*A*S*H Matters and buying a copy of his book, One Helicopter Pilot’s Experience. Captain Poss is one of the many uncredited members of M*A*S*H who contributed to the show’s success.