A view of the controls of Howard Hughes' Flying Boat in Long Beach, California. Howard Hughes (right) is standing next to an unidentified man (probably a mechanic, left).
A view of Howard Hughes and Grover Whalen inside of a car in New York. Description printed on photograph's accompanying sheet of paper: "Howard Hughes (left) and Grover Whalen on way to a hotel after Hughes completed a round the world flight. 7-14-38. (Press Association)"
Description given with photo: "Hughes Arrives In New York: La Guardia Field, New York, N.Y. -- Howard Hughes, airplane designer, pilot and movie producer, steps down from his converted B-23 bomber at La Guardia Field following his transcontinental flight from Culver City to New York, the first since he narrowly escaped death in the crash of an experimental plane July 7. Hughes personally piloted the B-23 over the 3,000-mile route."
Date stamped on back of photo: Nov 2, 1947. Transcribed from attached press release: "IN THE AIR Hughes Flying boat, with Howard Hughes at the controls, takes to the air at Los Angeles Harbor November 2, 1947. LONG BEACH, Calif., Nov. 2 - - Howard Hughes' 400,000-pound flying boat, world's largest plane, in the air on its first flight. The mammoth aircraft today flew one mile at a height of 70 feet over Los Angeles Harbor with Hughes at the controls. Hughes had scheduled taxi tests only for the 219-foot long ship but it 'felt so good' on the second taxi test run at 95 miles per hour that he took it off the water, as shown here, on the third and final run. The super plane's air speed was 100 miles per hour. Take-off speed was 95 miles per hour. Hughes termed the tests exceptionally successful. The eight-engine behemoth, launched yesterday off Terminal Island, passed its tests today in view of thousands on the shore and in small craft near the test area."