Howard Hughes in the cockpit of his Douglas DC-3 aircraft. The photo was taken right before or after his first flight since the nearly fatal XF-11 crash in 1946.
L-R: John D. Home, Department Commander of the American Legion; Howard Hughes, Managing Director of production for RKO Pictures; Edward Underwood, Commander of the Hollywood American Legion Motion Picture Post #43.
L-R: Edward Underwood, Commander of the Hollywood American Legion Motion Picture Post #43; Howard Hughes, Managing Director of production for RKO Pictures; John D. Home, Department Commander of the American Legion.
Description given with photo: "Testify On Behalf Of Hughes, Washington: Four of the nine witnesses summoned before the Senate War Investigating Subcommittee to testify on behalf of Howard Hughes stand behind the plane builder (seated, right) and his attorney, Thomas A. Slack (seated, left), November 8. they are (left to right) John B. Parkinson, listed as representative of the national Advisory Committee for Aeronautics; Edward Schwartz, listed as a former member of the Air Force Evaluation Boar; E. A. Peterman, and Glen Odekirk, an executive of the Hughes' Plant. Credit (ACME) 11/08/47."
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.