Douglas World Cruiser Aviator and Propeller (Circa 1924)

A smiling aviator in an Army Air Service cap and cold-weather flight gear seated on the pontoon spreader bar beneath the massive propeller of a Douglas World Cruiser seaplane. — Douglas World Cruiser Aviator and Propeller (Circa 1924) · Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

Prior to his work on the Spirit of St. Louis, Donald A. Hall Sr. served as an engineer on the historic Douglas World Cruiser project in Santa Monica. This archival photograph captures a smiling pilot seated beneath the aircraft's massive wooden propeller and engine mount while crews service the seaplane floats on a pebble beach.