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From the Flying Pioneers Biographies of Harold E. Morehouse 
[[Image of Grover E. Bell]]
Grover E. Bell
Pioneer Martin Aviator

Grover E. Bell was born at Mentone, Indiana, October 23rd, 1884, brother of Larry Bell, later the founder and President of Bell Aircraft Corporation. Information is lacking concerning Grover's early life, education and first occupations but during the early 1900's the Bell family moved to Santa Monica, California from Indiana. There, during the 1910-1911 era Bell became interested in aviation and decided he wanted to get into the "flying game".
As a result he became a student of Glenn Martin's first flying school when it opened in the fall of 1912. At that time he purchased a Martin biplane powered by an 8-cylinder Hall-Scott engine and Martin advertized free instruction with each purchase of a new plane. Glenn Martin himself was the instructor at that time. By November 1st Bell was flying every day, practicing circles, glides, and landings at Martin's Griffith Park flying field, using his own plane. During this period, Bell's younger brother Larry was his mechanic.
That fall Martin established a Hydro Station at Newport Bay and erected a hanger and launching ramp. He was building float machines and about November 15th his Hydro School was started where, on November 25th, Martin gave his first hydro lesson. Bell was already an advanced land plane student and he enrolled in the Hydro course to also master this branch of flying. After two check