Howard Hughes inspecting the equipment on the flight deck inside of the HK-1, Hughes Flying Boat, which he designed and built. The man pictured behind Hughes is possibly Earl Martyn, Hughes' flight engineer. The Flying Boat was near completion and was located on Terminal Island in the Los Angeles Harbor.
The black and white view of Howard Hughes surrounded by unidentified people at the Chicago Municipal Airport. Printed on a paper included with the photograph: "Millionaire Speed King. Howard Hughes, Multimillionaire movie producer and speed flyer, at the Chicago Municipal Airport preparing for a flight to Los Angeles, Calif., in which he hopes to set a new speed record. Credit Line (ACME) 5/14/36."