Description given with photo: "Non-Stop Los Angeles - New York Flight Inaugurated New York -- Howard Hughes, pilot, and Joseph Bartles (right), relief pilot, at the controls of the TWA Constellation which inaugurated non-stop Los Angeles - New York flights when the ship landed at LaGuardia Airport Feb. 15. Hughes, famous flier and TWA executive, was at the controls during the flight made in 8 hours, 38 minutes. Many Hollywood luminaries made the first flight. Credit (ACME). 2-15-46."
Back of the postcard. Some of the wording is not readable. It looks like the postcard was sent to a woman, Miss Stewart of California, from Paul Smith.
Typed onto a piece of paper given with the image: "As Los Angeles Welcomed Howard Hughes Los Angeles, Cal. -- The crowd gathered around the world-circling plane of Howard Hughes in the hangar at the Grand Central Air Terminal as Hughes and his companions on his record-breaking world flight alighted from the plane to receive the welcome home of Southern California. Hughes put his plane down at the airport and taxied it into the hangar all before alighting with his companions. Credit Line (ACME) 8/2/38 NY."
Howard Hughes (in white shirt) supervises construction of the Hughes D-2 at the Hughes Aircraft Company. in Culver City, California. The D-2 was the prototype of the XF-11.
A view of Howard Hughes after being interviewed about his controversial XF-11 photo reconnaissance plane by Republican of Washington, Senator Harry Cain in Culver City, California.
A view of Howard Hughes after being interviewed about his controversial XF-11 photo reconnaissance plane by Republican of Washington, Senator Harry Cain in Culver City, California.