[1] His father was a combat pilot instructor for six years at Kelly Field, during which time Ferris became exposed to and interested in military aircraft.

After the father's further advancement in the Army Air Corps, the family then moved to March Field, near Riverside, California.

[1] In 1946, Ferris entered Texas A&M University to study aeronautical engineering and a hoped-for career path towards an Air Force commission.

[2] After learning that a minor allergy would make him ineligible to become a military pilot, he transferred to George Washington University, where he also studied anatomy and figure drawing at the Corcoran College of Art.

[1] Upon completion of his studies, he moved to St. Louis in 1951 to work for firms with publications contracts for the United States Air Force.

For five years he was in charge of producing artwork for training publications and nuclear weapons manuals until the Air Force closed that operation.

[10] A director of the National Air and Space Museum cited his "absolute fidelity to accuracy" and called him "the (Frederic) Remington of our time".

He further explained that his process of creating his works begins with a "debriefing" of his Air Force-sponsored travels to his wife, leading to thumbnail sketches, then to various views of the aircraft mission to be portrayed and finally to scaling all objects to appear in the scene using an engineering process called, ''perspective projection by descriptive geometry''; this includes careful consideration of the aircraft's flight path relative to the viewer's position.

[1][2] He is a founder and past president of the American Society of Aviation Artists,[14] established with the stated goal to "promote professionalism, authenticity and quality in aviation art"; the society also provides scholarships, annual educational forums, advice on business practices, and opportunities for exhibition.

[29] His paintings that were selected as "Best of Show" at the American Society of Aviation Artists Annual Exhibition include:[14] McCollough, Amy (September 2008).