The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-07-11
Millionaire Flyer
 Driues Across Ocean
(Continued from Page D

around the world. lie ordered the oil emptied and renewed, because he experienced some oil pump trouble in mid-ocean.
 French mechanics swarmed on the field as soon as the plane landed, uncoWled the motors and began working on them. They found there was ample gasoline left, despite the temporary fear of Hughes when off the NeWfound- land coast that it might not prove sufficient.
 The favorable winds encountered helped to conserve fuel and the two HOO horsepower engines were able to drive the big plane through the air at a speed which at times reached 250 miles an hour.
 Lindbergh's distance across the Atlantic was $500 miles and Hughes was almost the same, over the great circle route. His elapsed time thus would indicate an aver age speed of better than 200 miles an hour.
 During the night, when their oyer- loaded plane had been averaging only 165 miles an hour and was headed into perilous fogs and rain stors on the European side of the North Atlantic, Hughes had doubted that the fuel would last until they reached Paris. Ireland, the first landfall, was so shrouded in fog that 1t was doubtful that they could see 1t from the air, and to have been forced down at sea would have meant disaster to the $2OO,00O land plane ana it's occupants.
 As the morning wore on, the fuel load frightened, 25-mile tail wind swept the plane on its way, and Hughes reported that his speed had increased to the terrific pace of 250 miles an hour.
 Very Distinguished
 New York, July 11-CUP)-HoW- ard Hughes, who flew the North At lantic with four companions, has been distinguished for years as one of Americas richest and most eligi- ble bachelors. His current favor ite is Katherine Hepburn, the movie actress, whom he bade goodbye yes- terday few hours before he took off.
 Extremely shy and nervous, the despair of tailors with his inevitable shirt sleeves, tieless, battered hat and baggy trousers attire, he chose flying as an avocation and an out let for his energies.
 He inherited $l7000,00O from his father, an oil well tool manufac- turer of Houston, Tex, when he was l8. He went to California to live with his uncle, Rupert Hughes, the novelist, and there became inter- ested in the movie industry. He undertook several productions, spent money lavishly on them even by Hollywood standards, and was so successful that he doubled his for tune. "Hell's Angels" World War flying picture, was his great est success.
 Has Own Plant
 He has his own airplane manu- featuring plant; holds numerous records including the land plane speed record of 352 miles an hour; the transcontinental record, Los Angeles-to-NeWark, of seven hours, 28 minutes, 25 seconds.
 He received the Harmon medal for outstanding achievement in aviation in 1886 from President Roosevelt. Frequently referred to as "playboy," he is dead earnest about flying, calls himself sports man-aviator," and undertakes flights such as the present one only after the most careful consideration and safeguards.
 He is 32, lanky, shunS publicity and tobacco, is rated as a handicap golfer. He met the vivacious Miss Hepburn in Hollywood, where he still has business interests.
 The co-pilot and navigator on the flight, Lieut.. T. L. Thurlow, Is 8, former Leland Stanford University student and graduate of the army flying school at Kelly Field, Texas. He has wife and son, Tommy, who saw him off. He is working on air navigation Instruments and was given leave from the army for the present flight.
 Radio Engineer
 The radio engineer, Richard Stod- dart, is a native New Yorker. He received his first radio license in 1919 and served on ships until 1927, when he took job win commer- cial radio station. He obtained ar airplane pilots license in 1929. join ed the National Broadcasting com pany, and took a leave of absence tC accompany Hughes.
 Harry P. Mclean O'Connor, the other navigator. began his training on ships in 1920. He is 30, Q native of Passaic. N. ]. He was navigator