It seems like a hard story to believe as the Connie was a true FE airplane unlike the DC6/7 which could actually be ferried without a FE onboard.
My experience was as a FO on the 1049H and for intents and purposes was the same as the 1649A. I suppose anything was possible with HH and while some stories might be embelished, there is usually a grain of truth to them.
When I was very young we had a family friend that was by training an FE, and worked for HH. He wanted to go to the Coliseum in Los Angeles to see the 4th of July fireworks show. Keep in mind that this is around 1959/60. He called into a central number that he used to stay in touch with the boss and was told that "No" he should not go as Mr. Hughes thought it was to dangerous?? He didn't go.
A few months later Hughes told him to go down to San Diego and check into to a hotel and wait for him to be contacted by Hughes. Over a year later still no call. This is when Hughes was in a legal hassle with Convair over the TWA 880 order. Two years later from his original dispatch he was told to go back home to LA and stand by. Still nothing. Not sure how he wound up finishing off his career but the book rights would have been worth something.
One more Hughes story. Most have heard of the DC6A and Convair 340 parked outside for years at the Santa Monica airport but few have heard of the Aero Commander parked in the back of a hangar at Burbank Airport. The hangar belonged to a flying club, called Sky Roamers. The Aero Commander sat back in a dark corner, roped off with about an inch of dust a bird droppings on the wings. Tires were low if not flat. The airplane belonged to Hughes and obviously never flew. Don't know what happend to it.
Fast forward Hughes bought a significant number of Lockheed JetStars which he kept in a hangar on the east side of the Van Nuys airport. They were painted white, no trim. Not sure what the purpose was behind these but they were there for at least ten years.
Strange guy that Howard Hughes