Robert (Bo) Harrison Grundy

During WWII he was the Assistant Chief Civilian pilot of the 311th Aircraft Detachment, located at Curtis Steinburg Airport in East St. Louis, IL, providing basic flight training for Army Air Corps cadets. Mr. Grundy was a Civil Aeronautics Administration Aeronautical Inspector from 1943 - 1945.

His experience allowed him to transfer to the CAA's Indianapolis Technical Development Center for the Civil Aeronautics Administration and became a Test Pilot from 1945 - 1960. He was instrumental in the successful completion of the "One Year Mandate" for the development of the VOR airways navigation system that is still in use world wide today.

During his time as test pilot he had the opportunity to fly on a regular basis a 247 Boeing that Roscoe Turner and Clyde Pangbourne flew in the first London to Melbourne Race of 1934. The plane is presently hanging in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. After retiring from flying in 1960 he became a farmer and actively farmed through 1972 when he retired. He remained actively involved with the family farm until 2001.

He was a member of and former Governor of the Quiet Birdman Aviation Fraternity, OX-5 Club, Early Bird Association, Top of the World Club of 1951 and the Indiana Nut Growers Association. In 1990 he was selected to the OX-5 Aviation Pioneers Hall of Fame. In 2007 his name was added to the EAA Memorial Wall in Oshkosh, WI.

Survivors include his wife of 67 years, Marjorie Frye Grundy; sons James R. Grundy, Joel R. Grundy, Kathleen Grundy Knuth, and Denny E. Grundy and 9 grandchildren.