Jerry Kelvin Lay

Jerry Kelvin Lay is an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) and Specialty Aircraft Examiner (SAE) based in Minonk, Illinois, where he operates Jerry Lay Aviation, LLC and manages his private-use turf facility, the Jerry Lay Heliport (IS18). Because his FAA certifications and authorizations are on record solely for helicopters, Lay operates exclusively as a rotorcraft examiner and does not conduct airplane checkrides. His FAA certifications include Private, Commercial, Instrument, Airline Transport Pilot (ATP), and Certified Flight Instructor (CFI).

Lay's career in aviation began during the Vietnam War, serving from 1969 to 1972 as an Army helicopter door gunner, crew chief, and eventually as a Chief Warrant Officer flying combat missions. Operating with C Troop, 3rd Squadron, 17th Cavalry under the call sign "Charlie Horse 27," Lay survived a March 1971 incident where his UH-1 "Huey" helicopter took heavy machine gun fire during an extraction operation, forcing him to maneuver the damaged aircraft clear of the area to execute a forced landing. He retired from military service after a 26-year career with the active Army and the Illinois Army National Guard, during which he flew CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters and deployed to Iraq.

In his civilian career, Lay flew for 14 years as an agricultural pilot and served as a pilot and flight instructor for the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Division of Aeronautics. He remains active in safety outreach as an FAASTeam presenter, sharing his experience at events like the Chicago Aviation EXPO and annual WINGS Weekend seminars. Lay also served on the Woodford County Zoning Board of Appeals, where in late 2020 he successfully advocated for local agricultural safety by helping pass an ordinance requiring wind energy developers to reimburse landowners for any increased costs in aerial crop spraying caused by wind turbine placement.