"I’ll see you in Jordan, Richard!"
If you are really lucky, then just once or twice in your life you might meet someone who will inspire you with an amazing mixture of instant awe and affection - and enlighten the rest of your days.
Prince Faisal had very kindly handled the negotiations for the use of the Al Jafr desert for the ThrustSSC runs - he had referred the ThrustSSC project to His Majesty for approval and in due course the green light had been given. ThrustSSC would be allowed to run at high speed on the only good desert we could find other than Black Rock - and at a time when Black Rock was seasonally flooded. This would enable us to develop car and team before we headed off to Nevada for the supersonic runs.
Negotiations also involved Munib Toukan, a very old friend of His Majesty who handled the PR for Royal Jordanian Airlines. In due course RJ were to help us with the fuel for the Heavylift Antonov freighter to get us to Jordan when all other sources had dried up.
I’ll never forget the Farnborough Air Show 1996. ThrustSSC was in a million pieces in Q Shed,a large Farnborough hangar directly under the air display flight line. We would start work at daybreak, knowing that the noise level would become intolerable in the early afternoon as the afterburning fighters made their turns and passes.
In the middle of all this, Munib called - would I like to come over to the RJ chalet to meet His Majesty? Meet a World famous statesman, a man who had miraculously survived numerous assassination attempts, a fine rally driver and a fighter pilot with his own collection of vintage jets - you bet!
Sally and I waited in the RJ chalet, and then suddenly the moment arrived. A bustle of Generals and Air Marshals appeared and in the middle of all this was His Majesty. I stood to shake hands from the back of the crowd.
"You will come and sit next to me, Richard!"
I did as I was told, and for the next 20 minutes we had a totally brilliant and lively conversation - it was as if we had known each other for all our lives. It was an extraordinary demonstration of His Majesty’s ability to put you at ease and generate real friendship.
The time came for His Majesty to go. Knowing that he had a house near London, I quickly explained that we had ThrustSSC in Q Shed, and that if he ever had a free moment we would all love to show him the car and explain the project. And then he was gone - surrounded by the bustle of Generals, Air Marshals and guards.
Back in Q Shed the din was intolerable: the first fighters were now flying their routines and although we were all wearing ear-defenders, any kind of communication was impossible. The noise just exhausted us. The Russian MiG cancelled its afterburners and there was a sudden and absolute silence. It was broken by a phone ringing at the far end of Q Shed. Pete Ross sprinted across the hangar, picking it up on the 20th ring. He came back slowly with a look of astonishment, incredulity and worry.
"That was the Farnborough Air Show Display Director. He says that King Hussein has cancelled his planned programme to tour the Farnborough exhibition stands and he is on his way to see us - with a 24 car convoy!"
Apparently the Director was not best pleased.
Somehow we got the giant hangar tidy and ourselves organised in the minutes before His Majesty arrived. At that moment the Eurofighter started its display with an impossible noise level - but despite all this His Majesty took a deep and knowing interest in the Team and the car. He was accompanied by a collection of British dignitaries who were looking decided ill at ease, having been hijacked from the comfort and security of the planned display hall visit. The visit was suddenly over and the King was about to get into his car:
"I’ll see you in Jordan, Richard!"
And he was gone - leaving us all standing on the tarmac with looks of total disbelief.
Once in Jordan in 1996, I got a call from the British Embassy, who might have been trying to pull a fast one.
"Richard, His Majesty would like to drive ThrustSSC!"
Oh My God. I hadn’t anticipated this one and I didn’t have an answer. Here we were as his guests in Jordan, at the receiving end of and totally dependent on the friendship and support of the Royal Jordanian Air Force and Army. His Majesty was a fighter pilot, a rally driver and well qualified to drive a high performance jet car. But ThrustSSC was unpredictable and dangerous - and we had made a rule that no one other than Andy was ever to drive the car. I gave a non-committal answer, while I tried to think through a smart solution to one Hell of a problem.
Later in the middle of the 1996 Jordan trials, I got word that His Majesty would be inspecting a tour of vintage and classic cars that had motored its way to Jordan from the UK and that he would like to meet. I drove like a maniac to Amman and stood at the end of the line, as the King inspected the gleaming cars.
"Richard, he said. I have good news for you!"
Things were not going well in Al Jafr and any good news was very welcome.
"I don’t want to drive the SSC!"
My face must have given away a mixture of relief and humour and a huge gale of laughter erupted from the crowd.
Sadly, the Al Jafr desert surface proved too hard and undulating for very high speeds and we were not able to deliver a World Record for His Majesty, though 540mph in Jordan is going to take some beating.
I never met His Majesty again, but like millions I felt a deep affection, respect and admiration for him. Like the rest of the team I knew we had been very privileged to meet.
It is quite clear that had His Majesty not sanctioned the runs in Jordan, ThrustSSC might never have made it to Mach 1. It was our training, team development, and car development on Al Jafr which gave us the edge and direct confidence to run for Mach 1 at Black Rock.
After the supersonic record was achieved, we sent His Majesty all the information and during Farnborough 98, the Royal Jordanian Air Force had an advance copy of the Thrust book delivered to his hospital bedside in the US.
His letter of the 20th October 1997 is something we will all treasure. I am sure he would not mind us reproducing the text here for everyone to share.
"Dear Richard,
I write to congratulate you, Andy Green and the ThrustSSC team on your latest success in breaking not only the land speed record but also in breaking the sound barrier on land: to have become the first car in history to go supersonic is a tremendous achievement and you must all be extremely elated and proud.
I do hope that we will have the great pleasure of welcoming you back to Jordan before too long and, until then I send my best wishes, renewed congratulations and warmest personal regards to you and your team.
I am your sincere friend,
Signature."
As a team , we have all had our lives enlightened by a few minutes of contact with a very great man. I am just so sorry that we never made it back to Jordan in time.
Richard Noble
Farnborough, England
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