No joke, my grandpa was an old timer at Boeing, middle management after WW2.
He told me a story once that Howard Hughes was once settling some kind of negotiation or contract with Boeing… but refused to mail over some paperwork, and refused Boeing mailing him over their own paperwork to him
So, my grandpa was directed to go, with a briefcase with Boeing’s paperwork, to a specific bathroom stall at Boeing Field, at specific time and date, whereupon him and Howard Hughes unironically did the old spy movie trope of sliding briefcases between stalls, then leaving at seperate times, never making eye contact or saying a word.
I have no way of 100% verifying whether or not this actually happened, if my grandpa was just pulling my leg as a kid… but my grandpa did really work for Boeing for most of his life, I’ve not known him to ever really lie about anything, and this does seem exactly like something Howard Hughes would do.
EDIT 2:
If this did actually happen, I’d imagine Hughes just literally flew himself in his own aircraft from California to Seattle with the briefcase, did the swap, and then just flew himself back.
Hughes: Fuck the Post Office, I’m faster and more reliable.
excuse me miss, have you ever heard the tragedy of the Swoose Goose?
… its called the Hercules.
angrily shuffles around blueprints.
EDIT:
No joke, my grandpa was an old timer at Boeing, middle management after WW2.
He told me a story once that Howard Hughes was once settling some kind of negotiation or contract with Boeing… but refused to mail over some paperwork, and refused Boeing mailing him over their own paperwork to him
So, my grandpa was directed to go, with a briefcase with Boeing’s paperwork, to a specific bathroom stall at Boeing Field, at specific time and date, whereupon him and Howard Hughes unironically did the old spy movie trope of sliding briefcases between stalls, then leaving at seperate times, never making eye contact or saying a word.
I have no way of 100% verifying whether or not this actually happened, if my grandpa was just pulling my leg as a kid… but my grandpa did really work for Boeing for most of his life, I’ve not known him to ever really lie about anything, and this does seem exactly like something Howard Hughes would do.
EDIT 2:
If this did actually happen, I’d imagine Hughes just literally flew himself in his own aircraft from California to Seattle with the briefcase, did the swap, and then just flew himself back.
Hughes: Fuck the Post Office, I’m faster and more reliable.
rofl
Late stage Howard Hughes, I believe it. Always believe the grandpa.
It’s only an hour drive from me, I should try that line