Boyd was a Tuskegee Airman in World War II, Korea and Vietnam, retiring from the U.S.A.F. as a Major in 1971. He was a pilot and owned several innovative aviation patents. Boyd served as the Director of the Division of Aviation for the Kansas Department of Transportation from 1981 to 1991, and was recognized by the National Association of State Aviation Officials as having one of the most innovative State aviation programs in the nation. He developed an enduring State Aviation Policy, established the first Department of Transportation Aviation Advisory Committee, initiated the Kansas Aviation Hall of Fame awards, organized the state and regional disaster airlift plan, and assisted with the International Pilot Training program at Kansas State University Salina.