B-29 ‘Doc’ – Preliminary 2018 Air Show Schedule

B-29 Superfortress ‘Doc’ during her first post-restoration flight on July 17th, 2016, at McConnell Air Force Base. The magnificent aircraft is currently scheduled to make five air show appearances in 2018, but more are expected as Doc's Friends, her operating group, concludes agreements with additional event organizers in the coming months. (U.S Air Force photo/Senior Airman Trevor Rhynes)
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Doc’s Friends announced on Thursday the preliminary 2018 tour schedule they have arranged so far for their B-29 Superfortress  known as Doc. While these are just the initial dates, the organization expects to add more to the list as they confirm appearances with various event planners across the country. While it is currently a short list, we must recognize that 2018 is only her second full year on the air show circuit, and that the logistics (and funding) required for touring a massive, complex aircraft like the B-29 involve enormous resources and careful management. The process must be as careful and deliberative as possible, to ensure a safe, successful and financially viable campaign. What is exciting to note is that Doc will return to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018 following her debut last year, so the prospect of seeing two B-29s together at the same field, and perhaps even in the air together again, is something to really look forwards to.

Additional tour stops will be announced in the coming weeks as negotiations with air shows are finalized. Doc’s Friend’s press release continues… The scheduled winter maintenance program that began for B-29 Doc in early October is nearly 60 percent complete and the maintenance team reports no major issues. In 2017, Doc’s Friends logged more than 45 flight hours on the historic B-29, including stops at five air shows in five states, covering 4,750 nautical miles. Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Wichita Airport Authority Board of Directors have approved the final design concepts for the B-29 Doc Hangar and Education Center to be built at Wichita’s Eisenhower National Airport. Doc’s Friends broke ground on the $6.5 million, 32,000 sq. ft. facility in September, and major construction is expected to begin in January. Fundraising continues for the remaining dollars for the project through commemorative brick sales and other donations. More information about the commemorative bricks can be found online at www.b-29doc.com/bricks.
Doc taxis down the flightline at Whiteman Air Force Base on June 11, one of five air show appearances she made in 2017. The restored aircraft was flown to Whiteman by U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Paul W. Tibbets IV, the 509th Bomb Wing commander, to perform during the 2017 Wings Over Whiteman air show June 10-11. (USAF photo by Senior Airman Jovan Banks)
Click the Image below to purchase Issue #70 of Warbird Digest and read the full story of ‘Doc.”
In 1956, B-29 s/n 44-69972 was among 50 Superfortresses that were parked in the desert at China Lake. They were to meet an ignominious end as targets for ballistic missiles; however, luck spared a plane named DOC that was all but forgotten. When Tony Mazzolini decided to search for a B-29 to restore to flying status in 1987, everyone told him there were none left, until he heard about DOC. This is the story of the three-decade odyssey that culminated in DOC returning to the skies.

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