Professional Pilot, May 2019

David Bjellos is the Aviation Manager for Florida Crystals flying a GIV SP S 76C and Bell 407 He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Helicopter Association International HAI PROFESSIONAL PILOT May 2019 77 Test pilot Matthew Carl Alber made the first test flight of the Grumman Gulfstream I in this undated photo Alber is standing on the steps of the Gulfstream as his copilot shakes Leroy Grummans hand after a successful test flight The jet age was a time for innovation and design expertise and Grumman began working on 2 distinct goals space and jet fighters The F9F Panther was Grummans first jet in 1949 followed by the A 6 Intruder and eventually the F 14 Tomcat Quietly the company had been contracted to produce the Lunar Excursion Module LEM that was carried by Apollo 11 and landed men on the moon in 1969 Perhaps most famously for civilian pilots Leroy Grumman can be thanked for producing the initial series of Gulfstream aircraft beginning with the turboprop G I and progressing during his lifetime through the G IV In spite of Grummans failing health and poor eyesight in later years his engineers developed 2 models for the turboprop Gulfstream prototype one with a high wing the other a low wing Such was Grummans influence among his employees his choice of a low wing model was never questioned What might these aircraft have looked like today had he chosen the high wing version Leroy Grumman lived long enough to see his company and products progress from underpowered biplanes with questionable powerplants and strut and wire laden wings covered in dope and fabric to supersonic fighters and Neil Armstrong stepping from his LEM to make first tracks on the moon He retired as active Chairman from his company in 1966 and was made an honorary chairman He sat on the board until 1972 and flew west on October 4 1982 at the age of 87 Leroy Grumman received numerous awards including the Guggenheim Medal for aeronautical pioneering the Medal of Merit and an honorary PhD in engineering by the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute He was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame and the International Air and Space Hall of Fame The US Navy fleet replenishment oiler USNS Leroy Grumman was christened by his 3 daughters in 1988 Throughout his lifetime he strove for perfection and expected expertise and attention to detail on everything that bore his name Such was his influence that he was always referred to as Mr Grumman as a sign of respect His motto earned from humble beginnings during the hard scrabble days of repairing the broken and leaking Loening seaplanes was We always tried to do a solid job Well done Mr Grumman Mission accomplished Grumman designed tested and assembled the Lunar Excursion Module LEM at its Bethpage NY facility in the 1960s Between 1969 and 1972 Grumman LEMs carried 12 astronauts to and from the surface of the moon and one Aquarius served as a lifeboat for 3 astronauts during the ill fated Apollo 13 mission Adults and children alike all but worshipped men like Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong for their bravery and skills and for epitomizing the spirit of adventure when they landed on the moon July 20 1969 Perhaps no other aircraft ever made has done more for naval aviation recruitment through the movie Top Gun than the F 14 Tomcat It was fast capable and could carry an impressive quantity of weapons stores and fuel with a max takeoff weight just under 73000 lb nearly identical to that of a fully loaded Gulfstream IV