He died Tuesday night (April 27, 2010) at his home in the United States, friends of the veteran pilot said in an e-mail to Arab News. No other details were immediately available.
Born in Stockton, California, on March 24, 1908, Grant was an airplane mechanic who later became a pilot in the late 1920s. He was a seasoned pilot of many aircraft at the beginning of World War II, having worked as a barnstormer and commercial pilot.
In the spring of 1945, he was assigned to deliver a Douglas DC-3 airplane, a gift from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to King Abdulaziz. Offered to stay in the Kingdom and be a pilot for the Royal Family, he agreed and stayed for two years. He would later help found Saudi Arabian Airlines.
Grants considered his stay in Saudi Arabia as a momentous time of his long life.
"My time in Saudi Arabia was the greatest gift I could have ever been given. At the time, I didn't realize what an opportunity it was — I thought I was just doing my job," he was quoted saying in an interview last year.
Just last week, he said, "One of the great men of the last century was King Abdulaziz. When you were with him, you knew that you were with a man of vision and power - what a man."
During Grant’s time in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, he discovered puzzle rings and when he returned home after the war, he settled in Stamford, Connecticut and became a two-career person. He opened a jewelry store in Stamford, Jose Grant Jewelry, which specialized in puzzle rings and resumed his career as an airline pilot where he spent 28 years as a captain with TWA.
Grant renewed his relationship with Saudi Arabia and the Saudi Royal family early in the new century. He became the featured personality in the book, , which was published in 2009. The book features stories of Joe's time and adventures in Saudi Arabia with King Abdulaziz and original photographs taken by Grant, which had never previously been published.
He returned to Saudi Arabia in 2007 and 2009 prior to the publishing the book. He became a close friend of Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz who is both an accomplished pilot and an astronaut. "I have learned so much from this man over the years," Prince Sultan said of Grant at a press conference last year. "Joe said the secret to success and living a long life is to keep flying."
Grant was honored by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz last year with the King Abdulaziz Medal - First Class, which was presented by Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir. "Mr. Grant's contributions to helping foster Saudi-US relations are deeply appreciated to this day," said Ambassador Al-Jubeir.
When Grant visited Saudi Arabia later in 2009, King Abdullah upon meeting him for the first time in over 60 years said, "Joseph, your face is still the same. I remember you well."
Grant was also honored by the aviation industry at the Oshkosh Airshow in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and the Smithsonian Museum of Air and Space in Washington DC in 2009.
In August of 2009, at the Oshkosh Airshow, Grant, accompanied by Prince Sltan bin Salman, was honored as a pioneer in aviation at the Gathering of Eagles Banquet. He presented a copy of his book to the actor and pilot Harrison Ford who was the Chairman of the event. Ford said, "Joe is more like Indiana Jones than I am."
At the Smithsonian Museum later that year, Grant was honored at a book signing. He was given special recognition in the museum as an aviator who made a difference. While he was in the hall of aircraft at the Smithsonian, he was asked to look around and point out the aircraft he had piloted. As he turned and looked, he commented, "Well, I guess just about all of them."
He is survived by one brother, Walter Grant, and his sister, Elizabeth Broome. He has one son, Edward Grant, and two grandsons, Michael and Stephen Grant. His son and grandsons live in Stamford with his daughter-in-law, Lisa Grant. His daughter, Theresia Pendlebury, resides in Tennessee with her husband, Robert Pendlebury.
1929 - Soloed on OX5 Robin.
1929-1931 - worked as a mechanic and barnstormed on OX5 powered airplanes, the oldest being the Waco 9.
1929-1938 - worked as a mechanic and foreman at Glen L. Martin aircraft.
1934 - started Logan Flying Service Inc. And served as Vice President, Chief Pilot and General Manager. We operated a flying school, charter service, aircraft sales and other services. He continued in this work until joining Pennsylvania Central Airlines.
1939-1942 - co-pilot with P.C.A.
1942-1945 - Air Transport Command during the war.
1945-1947 - pilot for King Abdulaziz.
1946-1947 - helped to found and manage Saudi Arabian Airlines.
1947-1968 - Captain for TWA Domestic and International.
1969 - he delivered a well-used Twin Comanche across the Atlantic and across the desert to Niger.
1969-1971 - pilot for Randy Compton on a Beach Duke.
1971-1995 - re-qualified double instructors ratings and worked out of Bridgeport, Connecticut Airport, part-time.
