Centenarian Pilot was SAFE’s First Honorary Member

Joe Grant, who attended EAA AirVenture Oshkosh last year to help debut the book, King Abdulaziz…His Plane and His Pilot, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 102 at his home in Stamford, Connecticut. Grant was the chief pilot for the King, flying a DC-3 for the Saudi Royal family in the 1940s. The airplane was a gift to the Saudis from President Roosevelt and served as the foundation for the Saudis’ first airline. Joe appeared at AirVenture last year with Prince Sultan bin Salman (King Abdulaziz’s grandson) and Delano Roosevelt (FDR’s grandson), where he was presented with a lifetime achievement award for his career in aviation.