Ray Skovgaard

(Ove) Ray Skovgaard took his first flight at age 31 on February 15, 1955, in a Piper PA-11. A few months later, he committed to his dream, trading the family boat for a Luscombe 8A. This was in the face of tearful objections from his children—they loved the boat—and worried hand-wringing from his mother. She’d been born in 1895 and was convinced that flying machines were unnatural and bound to “fall out of the sky.”

Ray retired from his career as pilot 34 years and 22,882.5 flying hours later, with nary a fall. (Though, to hear him tell it, there were a few close calls!)

He was born on July 27, 1923, in a farm house near Fullerton, North Dakota. His father, Emil Skovgaard, was a dairy farmer, as his family had been in the old country (Denmark). His mother, the skeptic, was Sarah Montgomery Skovgaard, who bore and raised nine children on the farm.

Ray wasn’t one to be kept down on the farm. At age 26, he founded Skovgaard Service, an Allis Chalmers farm implement and (eventually) Buick dealership in LaMourre, ND. By that time he had married Theresa Palensky and the two of them started their family which eventually expanded to include seven children. His marriage to Tess was a loving one that lasted to his death in 1994.

Over the course of his career, Ray worked as an aircraft salesman, FBO manager, FBO owner, check airman, flight instructor, and chief pilot. In pursuit of flying, he moved his family from North Dakota to Wyoming, Arizona, and, finally, Montana. The bulk of his flying hours came while he worked for Lynch Flying Service in Billings.

His hours at Lynch’s were varied and challenging. The on-call, on-demand service meant that pilots flew at a moment’s notice and at all hours. He flew ambulance trips in urgent situations, transporting accident victims, medically at-risk newborns, and elderly patients going home to die. He had a couple stories of flights to scatter ashes that didn’t go entirely to plan. He flew the rich and famous, government and industry bigwigs, oilmen, ranchers, ranch hands, and rodeo cowboys.

Ray knew Montana from the air as well as anyone. He flew ground-hugging pipeline and power line patrols through mountains and canyons. In summers, he was especially busy, working in support of U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management fire-fighting operations, including flying lead-in for fire bombers.

His deep knowledge of the land and history of Montana and the West made him a favorite among those he flew, and he was often specifically requested. He was a good, entertaining teller of stories.

Ray’s love for flying was contagious. HIs younger brother became a career USAF pilot (a situation their mother eventually accepted with pride). Two of his children qualified, one spending part of his career as an airline pilot, and others logged hours while flying with their dad. Several nieces and nephews and a grandson fly, making it a family tradition that lives on after his death in 1994.

At the end of his career, Ray’s flying history included:

22,882.5 total hours
15,676.9 multi-engine
17767 actual instrument
3329.0 night flying
1683.2 flight instructor hours
87.1 of dual instruction received
87.2 second-in-command
22,708.2 pilot-in-command