Flight in King's DC3 - Nov. 1960
Again, if memory has some
degree of accuracy, the country's Saudi Arabian Airline planes were piloted in
1960 by
contracted pilots from TWA. These US civilian pilots often flew in to
Riyadh and need a place to stay. If hotel accommodations were not
available, we would put them up in our villa. We got to be good friends
with several of these pilots and they returned the favor of hospitality by doing
favors for us, such as bringing in "sadiki juice" (definitely
forbidden alcohol), outside souvenirs (e.g., Keith's camel saddles from Egypt),
and other outside purchases (e.g., Keith's replacement 35mm camera smuggled in
from the free port of Aden under the floorboards of the King
Saud's personal
plane).
On at
least one occasion, a pilot took some of us up on a flight around the Riyadh
area. This was in the King's smaller DC-3 which he used for in-country
flights. This plane needed to be flown occasionally and we were happy to
tag along to see our neighborhood better from the air. (If you can help with
better identification of these photos, please contact
Keith.) [Thanks to
contact from Martin
Lovegrove
of the UK (lived in Riyadh
1964-66), additional identifications have been made
as indicated in green type below]
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| This is the King's plane
at rest at the Riyadh Airport. Canada Dry manager, Mr. Beebee, is on
the right here (this must have been taken at a different time as I don't
recall him going with us - maybe just seeing us off?). |
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| Our friend and
pilot on left; one of our guys in copilot's seat (his name forgotten.?). |
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| The pilot was then a
close friend, but sadly his name too has been forgotten over all these
years. (Can you help us identify him?) |
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| Scotty in the back of the
plane. Very fine accommodations compared to the inside of our regular
military "desert run" Gooneys. |
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| This shot, which includes
Keith, is looking forward in to the cockpit area. |
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| As we taxi out we get the
view of the barebones runway (no landing lights as they had been picked up
previously by enterprising Bedu). |
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| As we take off, we get a
good look at the airport terminal building complete with control tower,
neither of which I every remember being occupied. |
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| Getting airborne, we look
down on the airport and our compound area, this view being probably to the
southwest. |
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| A section of the previous
photo is blown up & labeled to show the location of our 3 villas
relative to the airport & jump tower landmark. |
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| This southerly view shows
were we lived relative to downtown Riyadh. |
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| Not far outside the city
is very much empty space. |
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| Crown
Prince Faisal’s palace - Prince Faisal later to become King
Faisal in 1964. |
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| And here is the first of
several aerial views of the huge palace complex of King
Saud. |
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| Another palace view (see
previous 2 albums for on the ground views from our palace tour). |
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| Another palace view, with
Prince Faisal's farm visible in upper left quarter of this photo. |
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| Only a small portion of
palace area can be seen here beneath the wing tip; more of the city of
Riyadh can be seen above the wing. |
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| A farm area being
developed in the surrounding desert. |
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| A view back toward the
city - Northerly view
with city center foreground left - curving road upper center would be
Airport Road with "barrel" round tower building on right at
beginning of curve - ministry buildings on left - & airport runway
barely visible to right of end of Airport Rd. |
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| Obviously an old
neighborhood here - possibly in east or southeast portion of Riyadh. |
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| This
black & white shot is of the ruins of the ancient capital of Diriyah,
located about 20 miles northwest of the center of Riyadh. |
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| Next we flew out to the
great escarpment not too far from Riyadh. |
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| Here we get a little
closer to the escarpment. |
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| And one more faded black
& white photo of the escarpment beyond the wingtip. |
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| Back to civilization, we
see more of the city of Riyadh. |
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| Road
going left to right under the aileron is the road to the airport with a few
ministries visible and the Yamamah hotel just by the aileron. The
round tower and the Rose of Orient Hotel are also visible by the crossroads.
Diagonal
road foregound runs northeasterly past the Canada Dry plant & King Saud
Univ. |
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| Here we look down on
Airport Ave. (horizontal line) & the ministry buildings (MODA just above
the wing emblem). |
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| Under the wing tip here
we can see the Hotel Zahret El-Shark (left of road) & the MODA building
(location of our offices to right of Airport Ave.) |
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| Here the locations of the
Al-Yamamah Hotel and MODA are clearly marked. Downtown Riyadh would be just out of
sight upper right. |
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| An enjoyable flight
completed, our pilot friend is greeted by Louie Prima. |
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