Ryan's Story.
Born in Benoni, near Johannesburg, and raised in Pietermaritzburg on South Africa’s East Coast, Ryan Shrives developed a lifelong love of aviation after spending his childhood watching helicopters and airplanes fly along the coastline. While his first passion was sports, by his early twenties he realized aviation was his true calling.
Ryan trained with the South African Air Force, where he received rigorous, world-class instruction. He first earned his wings on airplanes, specializing in formation flying and aerobatics, before transitioning to helicopters. This breadth of experience built a strong foundation for his career as a skilled and versatile pilot.
In 2010, Ryan and his wife moved to Canada when she accepted a medical position in Saskatchewan. What began as a two-year adventure soon turned into a permanent home in Medicine Hat, where they are now raising their two children.
Ryan has been with HALO Air Ambulance for over six years, contributing his expertise to the program’s growth and advancement. He is passionate about increasing awareness of HALO’s critical service across Southern Alberta, ensuring more people recognize the life-saving role the organization plays.
Outside of flying, Ryan loves the outdoors, especially being in or near water. He grew up pationate about water sports and still enjoys running, exercising, and spending time on sunny beaches whenever possible. A fun fact about Ryan: Represented South Africa in Field Hockey at the age of 20 ,he holds aviation licenses in five different countries, flies both airplanes and helicopters, and even completed his first solo parachute jump at the age of 47, and used to fly Nelson Mandela when he was president of South Africa.