Doc’s Friends continues to conduct flight tests to satisfy the FAA’s flight requirements to be able to bring the airplane on tour. The organization’s media relations and communications liaison Josh Wells said the airplane has flown more than 10 hours since it first took the skies in July after decades of restorative work. Wells said Doc has done multiple takeoffs and landings and is flying really well with no major squawks.
Doc is not expected to go on tour until the end of March, at the earliest. The next major hurdle for Doc is finding a permanent home. At the moment, the massive B-29 does not have a hangar, and maintenance has to be done on the ramp, Wells said. The team is also reluctant to run the engines once the temperatures go below 50 degrees, so there won’t be much flying going on over the winter.
Doc’s Friends hopes to build a permanent hangar soon, likely at the Wichita Dwight Eisenhower National Airport (KICT). Details are still being worked out and a significant amount of funding is needed, Wells said. If you would like to donate to the project, go to b-29doc.com.
This stunning video shows a recent flight of the stunning B-29, shot by Scott Slocum from Aero Media Group.
