This NY World's Fair Flag circumnavigated the globe with Howard Hughes in 1938.
Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. (December 24, 1905 - April 5, 1976) was an American aviator, industrialist, film producer/director, philanthropist, and one of the wealthiest people in the world. He gained fame in the late 1920s as a maverick film producer, making big budget and often controversial films like Hell's Angels, Scarface, and The Outlaw.

As an aviator, Hughes set multiple world air-speed records, for which he won many awards, including the Congressional Gold Medal, and both the Harmon and Corbin trophies. He won the Harmon trophy due to his circumnavigation of the globe, in a journey time of a little over 91 hours, in 1938. He accomplished this feat with a flight crew of four; Harry Connor as the co-pilot, Thomas Thurlow acting as navigator, Edward Lund as flight engineer and with Richard Stoddard operating the radio. The vice-president of Curtis-Wright, Al Lodwick, assisted the flight by handling the logistical flight operation in terms of clearances, permits and fuel provisioning.

This famous flight departed from Long Island, New York on a Lockheed 14 Lodestar Super Electra Monoplane on the 10th of July 1938. It was sponsored by New Yorks World Fair, for which Hughes served as an aeronautical advisor, and the aircraft was subsequently named New York Worlds Fair 1939. It was the official emblem of the city's forthcoming international exposition, a goodwill missionary to the rest of the globe.
The Electra was practically a flying laboratory, and he needed a four-man crew to help him manage it. The flight itself was strictly business all the way; New York to Paris, to Danzig, to Moscow, to Alaska, to Minneapolis, and matter-of-factly back to Floyd Bennett Field, on schedule, promoting the concept of air travel to visit the upcoming fair. Hughes was carrying his own radio station, and he broadcast live to the world from midair, also promoting the Fair. Hughes wanted to demonstrate the triumph of technology and indicate what would be possible in the future.

As part of the promotion, Hughes took several US and Worlds Fair flags on the circumnavigation; Worlds Fair president Grover Whalen had appointed him Ambassador and dispatched Hughes to carry New York's cordial wishes to the peace-loving peoples of the Earth. When he flew out of Floyd Bennett on the Sunday evening of the 10th of July for three days, in what were otherwise dark and troubled times, the peace flight was at the top of world headlines.

When Hughes decided to circumnavigate the globe he was also determined to attempt to set a record for the fastest around the world flight. Hughes named Albert I. Lodwick as the flight operations manager for his record setting attempt and Lodwick turned his considerable administrative skills to the task of making Hughes' flight possible and successful. Lodwick made all the arrangements with foreign governments to gain permission for Hughes to fly over and/or land in their countries and to obtain fuel, mechanical services, equipment and supplies as needed. He also provided Hughes with detailed flight operations manual, which Hughes carried with him on the flight and to which he could refer to as needed. After the flight Hughes gave this flag to Al Lodwick.

The itinerary of the flight was as follows:
Departed Floyd Bennett Field, Long Island New York Sunday, July 10, 1938 at 7:20 PM 3,641 miles in 16H 38M
LeBourget Field, Paris France Monday, July 11, 1938 at 11:58 AM1,640 miles in 7H 51M
Moscow, Russia Tuedsay, July 12, 1938 at 4:15 AM1,400 miles in 7H 27M
Omsk, Russia Tuesday, July 12, 1938 at 2:00 PM 2,158 miles in 10H 31M
Yakutsh, Russia Wednesday, July 13, 1938 at 5:08 AM 2,457 miles in 12H 17M
Fairbanks, Alaska Wednesday, July 13, 1938 at 8:18 PM2,441 miles in 12H 2M
Minneapolis, MN Thursday, July 14, 1938 at 9:38 AM1,054 miles in 4H 26M Arrived Floyd Bennett Field, Long Island New York Thursday, July 14, 1938 at 2:34 PMThis epic itinerary makes this one of the best travelled US flags up until that time; a total of 14,672 miles.

ZFC Significant Flag
Item is Framed

Deaccessed Heritage Auctions - 13 November 2023 - Auction 6276


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