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."
Description printed on photograph's accompanying strip of paper: "Next stop-- Moscow! Le Bourget, France---- After making minor repairs, Howard Hughes and his companions took off from Le Bourget, to complete their record-smashing circuit of the globe in 3 days and 19 hours. The photo shows the Hughes plane, 'World's Fair, 1939,' propellers whirling, just before the takeoff for Moscow, second leg of the world flight."
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.