Howard Hughes in the cockpit of his Douglas DC-3 aircraft. The photo was taken right before or after his first flight since the nearly fatal XF-11 crash in 1946.
Crowd of people watching Howard Hughes arrive at the Washington Airport in Washington D.C. to thank Cordell Hull for the State Department's co-operation of Hughes' Round the World flight.
Description given with photo: "Flying Boat Takes Off - Pedro, Calif. : With all eight motors roaring, Howard Hughes' giant plywood flying boat skims across the surface of Los Angeles harbor at 95 miles per hour on November 2nd. Shortly afterward, Hughes lifted the plane into the air for an unscheduled half-mile flight. Credit Line (ACME) 11/04/47."