Jeff Turner, Doc’s Friends Chairman, and Tony Mazzolini, who found the deteriorating B-29 and brought it back to its birthplace, will give an update on its restoration and share their plans for its eventual return to the sky at the Wichita Aero Club May luncheon on Monday, May 12, 2014. Later in the day, there will also be a reception at the hangar on the east side of South Oliver, opposite the Spirit AeroSystems headquarters where the Wichita-built B-29, dubbed “Doc” is being restored.
The airplane was originally part of a squadron named for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It is being restored by volunteers, many of whom worked on B-29s at the Boeing Wichita plant during World War II and the Korean Conflict. An afternoon Open House, for luncheon attendees and their guests, will provide visitors with the opportunity to see Doc firsthand and learn more about how to support the restoration efforts. It will include a cocktail reception and photo opportunities, as well as a brief press conference.
The Wichita Aero Club luncheon will be held in the Doubletree Hilton at Wichita Airport Emerald Ballroom from noon until 1:30 PM. Tickets for the luncheon are $30 for WAC members and $40 for non-members. Both it and the evening reception are open to the public. The afternoon Open House will begin at 4:00 p.m. and will run until 6:30 p.m. at Doc’s Hangar. The press briefing featuring Jeff Turner, Tony Mazzolini and members of the volunteer team that is working on Doc will begin at approximately 4:30 P.M.
“This presentation by Doc’s Friends will provide the Aero Club with fascinating details about Doc’s history, the renovation process and the future plans for the B-29,” said Dave Franson, President of the Wichita Aero Club. “We are also excited to have to opportunity to see Doc and hear the back story of this airplane, it’s previous service and the plans for its return to the skies in the not-too-distant future.”
Doc’s story began in March of 1945 at the Boeing plant in Wichita, Kansas. Originally built by the Boeing Company in 1945, the B-29-20-BW, or B-29 Superfortress, was a one-of-a-kind airplane. The B-29 was designed and built by Boeing in Wichita and flown primarily by the U.S. Air Force at the end of World War II and then during the Korean War.
In 1987, after sitting more than 40 years in the Mojave Desert where it was a sun baked sanctuary for birds and many other desert creatures, Doc was rescued by a group of historians with a dream. The group, led by Tony Mazzolini and backed by the United States Aviation Museum, had a plan to restore the B-29 and eventually get it back into the air. It was transported from the desert to Wichita in 2000, where work began to restore it to flying status. A group of Wichita business leaders founded Doc’s Friends in early 2013 with a vision to see the historic Boeing B-29 Superfortress restored to flying condition.
A new non-profit group, Doc’s Friends has taken ownership of the airplane and is leading the effort to refurbish the vintage airplane. It is believed that Doc is the last known Boeing B-29 Superfortress that is in restorable condition.
The founding Board of Directors for Doc’s Friends includes Wichita Aero Club members Jeff Turner, Lynn Nichols, Jeff Peier, Tom Bertels, Charlie Chandler, Jack Pelton and Ron Ryan, as well as Tim Buchanan, Steve Clark, and Brad Gorsuch.
In February of 2013, the airplane was moved from a storage hangar to its current active hangar space donated by Boeing. This has allowed volunteers to resume work to restore the aircraft. The luncheon and Open House on May 12 will also provide information on how to volunteer to work on Doc or donate to Doc’s Friends. Additional information is available on the organization’s website, www.b-29doc.com.
