[1] Between 1937 and 1939 he piloted Pan Am's first survey flights to Bermuda, Ireland, Southampton, the Azores, Lisbon, and Marseille.

The second leg from Horta to Pan Am's newly built airport in Lisbon took 7 hours and 7 minutes and covered 1,200 miles.

[2][3] In 1941, Gray piloted the Cape Town Clipper on what was then the world's longest proving flight.

He flew 19,000 miles from La Guardia Airport in New York City to Léopoldville in the Belgian Congo and back.

[5] In July 1964, Gray was elected president of Pan Am, succeeding company founder Juan Trippe, who remained as chairman and chief executive officer.

[2] During his tenure as a Pan Am executive, Gray was known for improving the company's technical, safety, and operating standards.