Every so often, we all need our batteries recharged. Today a conversation with a new friend did just that for me. In February of 1945, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt met King Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia aboard the USS Quincy in the Suez Canal of Egypt. At this historic meeting, these leaders of their respective nations, forged a relationship that would define US-Saudi relations until today. At the conclusion of the meeting they presented each other with gifts. President Roosevelt gave the king a wheelchair that he had on board the Quincy, and promised to deliver to the king a brand new state-of-the-art DC3 airplane.
That plane was flown into Saudi Arabia later in 1945. Today I spoke with Joseph Grant, the pilot who flew the DC3 into Saudi Arabia and delivered it to King Abdul Aziz. Grant is 98 years old and his energy and enthusiasm about Saudi Arabia and American relations with Saudi Arabia really rang my bell. “You know, one of these days I’m gonna have to go and I’m not gonna like it. I’ve got some things to do before I leave,” he told me.
One of the things that Grant wants to do is to return to Saudi Arabia and visit the places that he used to frequent over 60 years ago. Joseph Grant flew the DC3 from Cairo into Jeddah on the last leg of its journey from the United States. “There was just a dirt strip in Jeddah at the time, but I landed the plane and met with members of the royal family. They asked me to deliver the plane to the king in Riyadh from there. I rode a “sun line” to get the plane to Riyadh and darned if I didn’t hit it right on the button. We didn’t really have an airfield so I just landed the plane on the dirt.” He continued, “The king was really pleased to receive that aircraft. He was a wonderful man. He had such big hands and when he would use my shoulder to get into the copilot’s seat, it felt like a large bear had a hold of me. I stayed on for two years to work with the king and TWA to help establish an airline for Saudi Arabia.”
Before Joe Grant returned to the US, they had five DC3s in the new Saudi Arabian fleet.
Joe has fond memories of Saudi Arabia. “I stayed in the palace in Riyadh. I remember that when I woke up in the morning, I used to hear the children of the king laughing and playing in the courtyard. There were so many of them that it sounded like a school playground.”
“We used to fly out into the desert to go hunting. We would often land on the salt flats. I did my own navigating often using a sextant or, at night, flying by using the stars. The king would usually insist on paying me to fly. He would give me bags of gold. I knew that I couldn’t refuse them, but I always gave them away. I never flew for the money. I flew for the fun and because I just liked to fly.”
Joseph Grant grew up on an isolated farm in Florida. He was the second of twelve children. “Times were tough back then and Mom and Dad often had trouble feeding the family, but we made it.” At age 19, Joe decided to take his motorcycle and head out on his own. Eventually he worked as an airplane mechanic and studied aeronautical engineering at the Maryland Institute. He and his brother saved their money and soon bought a Curtis Wright airplane even before they knew how to fly. They paid five dollars an hour for flying lessons and soon they were real pilots.
Joe then launched a new career as a barnstormer. He and his brother began taking on passengers for two dollars each and before long, they had quite a bit of money for those times. “We didn’t even need a license in those days. There were no regulations and we were free as birds.” However as barnstorming became less attractive, Joe went to work for Pennsylvania Central Airlines and then for TWA flying overseas on the Intercontinental Division.
Then came World War II. Joe flew in the US Army and was picked to go to Saudi Arabia to help set up an airline. TWA was the consultant group that went to Saudi Arabia and Joe and his crew helped King Abdul Aziz to establish Saudi Arabian Airlines.
“I also flew a lot with Prince Faisal who later became king. He was such an intelligent man and a very wise person. I even remember his children flying on the plane with him. They were all so bright and well behaved.” He continued, “Saudi Arabia is an amazing country and they have accomplished so much in their relatively short history. It is really interesting that they bought the aircraft before they built the airports. And look at them now.”
“I have so many pictures from those early days in Saudi Arabia. I look forward to sharing them with you. I certainly don’t want them to end up in some dumpster when I’m gone. But I’ve got a long time to go yet. I plan on retiring from my jewelry business in about five years. My son and daughter are already retired. But I look forward to returning to Saudi Arabia although most of my old friends over there are now gone. Heck, I might even pilot my own plane again in Saudi Arabia once I get there.”
