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."
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.
The black and white view of several unidentified people and mechanics surrounding the Lockheed 14 aircraft for Howard Hughes' Around the World flight. Description printed on photograph's accompanying sheet of paper: "Ground crew refueling Lockheed 14. Crowd and hangar in background."