I saw a DVD in a shop today of the film The Amazing Howard Hughes, starring Tommy Lee Jones. I wondered, has anyone seen it? What is it like? Any good? And is there much in the way of aviation in it?
Also, am I right in assuming that the Hughes company that makes helicopters like the Hughes 500 is the same aviation company founded by Howard Hughes?
I know he designed the Spruce Goose, and I think he designed a few racers too. But what other aircraft was he responsible for? Anything really classic or important?
Cheers
Dave
By: Melvyn Hiscock - 26th May 2004 at 00:43
OK, I give up, wassun FBO?
Fixed Base Operator, basically a company that rents, teaches or fixes. Universal US term.
MH
By: dhfan - 26th May 2004 at 00:32
OK, I give up, wassun FBO?
By: Melvyn Hiscock - 25th May 2004 at 23:11
Ken Rearwin told me he met him once in an FBO in Los Angeles. Hughes would go in on a Thursday or Friday and rent a Fairchild 24 to fly to Las Vegas. The theory was that he would bring it back Sunday night but he always came back before by scheduled flight and left it there. They would have to send someone out during the week to bring it back ready for him to fly back the following weekend.
Apparently he was covering all the costs of running the FBO by NOT flying their aeroplane as the rental was whether he flew it or not.
Ken Rearwin also came across him when he worked for TWA. He was on the prototype Constellation before they did the trans-continental record flight. Apparently Hughes would not waste a test flight on giving the press a look so he took it out over San Francisco bay and was doing deep stalls with a bunch of press people hurling into their bags.
Melvyn
By: JDK - 25th May 2004 at 13:34
Anything really classic or important?
Oh, just a few world records, a couple of the most impotant aviation films, the world’s biggest a/c at the time…
Have a google!
By: atc pal - 24th May 2004 at 21:56
Yes, Hughes helicopters (now Mcdonnell Douglas) was one of his companies.
By: macky42 - 24th May 2004 at 18:35
what other aircraft was he responsible for?
Google the XF-11 reconnaisance aircraft. Quite an interesting aircraft, and one in which he nearly died.
mike
By: Black Knight - 24th May 2004 at 09:26
The films not bad, but i’m interested to see what the new film coming out next year will be like.
The Tommy Lee Jones film is quite a long one, when it’s been on TV it’s always been in 2 parts. It covers his whole life but not enough is shown on the flying side of it for my liking.
By: DazDaMan - 24th May 2004 at 08:42
The Hughes H-1 racer – the replica of which crashed last year.
Sign In
May 24, 2004 at 8:38 am