Into the Wind The Story of Max Conrad Author:Sally Buegeleisen Max Arthur Conrad, Jr. known as the "Flying Grandfather", was a record-setting aviator. In the 1950s and 1960s, he set nine official light plane world records, three of which still stand as of 2013. For his efforts, he was awarded the Louis Blériot medal in 1952 and the prestigious Harmon Trophy in 1964.