The black and white view of the Lockheed 14 aircraft at Floyd Bennett Field in New York. Typed onto a piece of paper attached to this image: "This crowd gathered at Floyd Bennett Airport to watch Howard Hughes take off on his flight to Paris with a crew of four. New York, New York."
Description given with photo: "Surprise To Everyone - San Pedro, Calif. : Millionaire planemaker Howard Hughes is surrounded by members of the press after successfully taking his 200-ton flying boat into the air in a surprise flight during initial taxi tests in Los Angeles harbor. Credit (ACME) 11/5/47."
From the Howard Cannon Photograph Collection (PH-00192). Stamped on verso: "Released by: Office of Information Air Force Flight Test Center Edwards Air Force Base Edwards, California".
Standing from left to right are John D. Home (Department of Communications of the American Legion), Howard Hughes (Managing Director of Production of RKO), and Edward Underwood (Department of Communications of Hollywood American Legion Motion Picture Post #43), in the late 1950s.