"Howard wasn't that crazy. He wanted my dad next to him in the
Spruce Goose because if something went wrong, he wanted to be
talking to the guy who designed the hydraulic system, not the
weatherman."
Source: Jim Grant, of Encino, CA, whose father,
David, was actually flying right seat for Howard Hughes during the
one and only flight of the Spruce Goose. For reasons pertaining to
"film continuity," however, Martin Scorsese, director of "The
Aviator," replaced David Grant with a fictional weatherman. Jim
told the LA Daily News he won't be rooting for "The Aviator" at
next week's Academy Awards.