Description given with photo: "Non-Stop Los Angeles - New York Flight Inaugurated New York -- View of the crowd around the "Star of California" waiting for passengers -- most of them after it landed at LaGuardia Airport Feb. 15. Piloted by Howard Hughes, famed Around-The-World record holder and a TWA executive, the flight in-augurated non-stop schedule between Los Angeles and New York. The TWA Constellation made the trip in 8 hours and 38 minutes, as compared with the record of 7 hours, 27 minutes. Credit (ACME) 2/15/46."
Description given with photo: "Cogitation Concentration Jubilation, Washington, D.C. - Three interesting studies of plane-builder, movie-maker and headline-maker Howard Hughes as he returned to the witness stand before the Senate War Investigating Committee today to answer questions relating to his wartime plane-building contracts. During his testimony today, Hughes said he wishes to absolve shipbuilder Henry Kaiser from any criticism in connection with the 200-ton flying boat that is one of the issues in the current probe. Photograph by G.B. Kress. 8/8/47."
Howard Hughes sits at the controls of his 400,000 pound Flying Boat just a day prior to its first tests in the Los Angeles Harbor in California. The aircraft was 219 feet long with a wing span of 320 feet.