Press release describes Army Air Forces circling over Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles to salute Howard Hughes, who was recovering the from the crash of his XF-11 aircraft. Contains texts of telegrams to Hughes from Army Air Forces Commanding General Carl Spaatz and Twelfth Air Force Brigadier General John P. Doyle.
Date stamped on back of photo: April 3, 1947. Transcribed from attached press release: "HUGHES FLIES DUPLICATE OF CRASH PLANE CULVER CITY, Calif., April 5 -- Howard Hughes, famed flier-industrialist, today test-piloted the plane pictured here, a duplicate of the XF-11 photo-reconnaissance ship which he nearly lost his life in an accident last July 7. He designed and built the plane for the Army Air forces in conjunction with the Air Materiel Command engineers. He has recovered from the injuries sustained last year when the freak propeller trouble dashed the original XF-11 to earth. As usual, he today took personal responsibility for the first test flight of the new plane." The actual flying date is April 4, 1947.