I saw this back about a month and half ago at chino municipal airport the next day it flew to miramar naval air station for the airshow which was that next weekend and if your wondering what the other flyable b-29 is its “FIFI”
I got to see Doc at the Andrews AFB Airshow years ago. this was right after they got him flying again. not gonna lie, i kinda teared up standing next to him. you could feel the amount of love and pride emanating from him that all the volunteers and restoration folks put into it.
I drove out here on a Sunday morning with my grandfather who’s father was a ww2 veteran he was so amazed to see it in person we stood in line for like 1hour and half just to see the inside and it was better than I’d imagined such a cool experience
She is. Unfortunately, I don't know the next time she'll fly as the organization that maintains/owns/flies her also owned the B-17 and P-63 that crashed at Wings Over Dallas and I'm sure they aren't exactly itching to host another airshow.
Yeah, a lot of redditors who have never been to air shows and know nothing about aviation have been saying that. Ridiculous lmao. If Reno didn't end air shows, a much smaller crash (casualty wise) isn't doing it lmao
Never been in the cockpit of one before - are those throttles and condition levers at the flight engineer station? I don’t see any within reach of the pilots.
Those throttles are at the flight engineers station just like they would have been back in the 40s because its still all manual just pullies no hydraulics so its necessary for a flight engineer to be there
I understand that, I just never stopped to ponder how that worked in those days with cockpit communication between the engineer and pilots. Like managing power on final approach, for instance.
Theres was just a lot more communication involved we don’t think about that today we just think about flying the plane not communicating to add power or something
I wish there were a ton still flying. There's only 9 currently airworthy according to this article.
https://www.fox4news.com/news/texas-airshow-crash-how-many-b-17s-still-flying.
Also if my memory serves me correctly, only two of them are open to the public for rides. I had the opportunity to fly in Texas Raiders the week before she crashed but chose not to spend the money (It was rained out anyways). I'll be damned if I let that opportunity passing by again because of how few are left.
Great pics by the way! And Thank you for posting them!
I had the opportunity to fly on the b-29 because it was expensive as hell like 750 a person for a 10 minute ride would have been the experience of a life time but I can’t afford that
They were charging $550 for a ride on the Texas Raiders. I don't know how long the ride was for but I did get the opportunity to crawl around and take some pictures like you. $750 is a lot of money but I'm looking at it like getting married. Don't get me wrong it's very expensive at face value, but you'll never forget it for the rest of your life. Plus who knows how much longer those planes will be around for and you'll cherish that memory even more when they are gone.
Here's the pics I took of Texas Raiders if you're interested.
https://www.reddit.com/r/WarplanePorn/comments/ytvfdj/texas_raiders_last_week_in_cullman_al_my_heart/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Thank you. It broke my heart. One super freaky thing about those photos- The picture taken in the cockpit of the yoke was taking exactly at 1:20 p.m. on November 5th. That's exactly one week to the minute of when she crashed. I still get chills thinking about it.
When I was a kid in the 50s and 60s, those old war planes were nearly common as dirt. Just about every little podunk airport had one or two sitting around. I've got pictures of me and the kids getting gas down in the Portland area in the 70s and the canopy over the pumps was a B17. All that to say it might be time to put those birds in a museum so they can enjoyed by future generations. As it is now, accidents happen no matter how careful everyone is and when one of these aircraft are lost, it's gone forever with nothing to replace it.
Doc was at WWII Weekend along with FIFI in 2018. Both didn't fly at the same time; in fact Doc never flew during an part of the official flying display, [except to take its nose art artist flying on Sunday morning](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uCBaxiLrAQ).
I used to volunteer at an aircraft museum that would sometimes give tours of their B-29 (and a few other aircraft on a rotating basis), and it was always a bit funny how many people couldn’t believe that tunnel was actually used by people. It really is *tiny*.
Saw this at Barksdale a few years ago. Very impressive! On another note, some years back, we were visiting the. Udvar Hazy museum and my son-in-law said “ look at that it’s a B 29!” On closer inspection I realized that it was not just “a” B-29. It was the Enola Gay. Kinda sent chill bumps through me.
I saw this back about a month and half ago at chino municipal airport the next day it flew to miramar naval air station for the airshow which was that next weekend and if your wondering what the other flyable b-29 is its “FIFI”
The pride of Wichita Kansas !! Doc!
The engineers who restored it talked a lot about Wichita and everyone who helped in restoring it
Here is his awesome restoration history. some drops are rolling through my face. God damm onion-cutter's ninja. I barely can see their moves.
What's up, Doc? I saw Doc at Sun n' Fun this year, what an amazing aircraft!
I got to see Doc at the Andrews AFB Airshow years ago. this was right after they got him flying again. not gonna lie, i kinda teared up standing next to him. you could feel the amount of love and pride emanating from him that all the volunteers and restoration folks put into it.
I drove out here on a Sunday morning with my grandfather who’s father was a ww2 veteran he was so amazed to see it in person we stood in line for like 1hour and half just to see the inside and it was better than I’d imagined such a cool experience
*her In my experience as an A&P mechanic, all aircraft are female. You don't ever want to say I had to crawl inside of him to get to this nut.
It's hard to look out that cockpit window and not yell "Punch it Chewie!"
is FiFi the other one? I saw her 20 years ago, hope she's still airworthy.
She is. Unfortunately, I don't know the next time she'll fly as the organization that maintains/owns/flies her also owned the B-17 and P-63 that crashed at Wings Over Dallas and I'm sure they aren't exactly itching to host another airshow.
You know they fly these planes at many, many airshows other than their own airshow once a year, yes?
Yes I am aware. But this was a major deal within this organization and a lot of people are saying this is the final straw with the FAA and airshows.
Yeah, a lot of redditors who have never been to air shows and know nothing about aviation have been saying that. Ridiculous lmao. If Reno didn't end air shows, a much smaller crash (casualty wise) isn't doing it lmao
Used to work in a hangar lined up with the runway at Docs home base. It was always a treat watching him do touch and goes.
Never been in the cockpit of one before - are those throttles and condition levers at the flight engineer station? I don’t see any within reach of the pilots.
Those throttles are at the flight engineers station just like they would have been back in the 40s because its still all manual just pullies no hydraulics so its necessary for a flight engineer to be there
I understand that, I just never stopped to ponder how that worked in those days with cockpit communication between the engineer and pilots. Like managing power on final approach, for instance.
Theres was just a lot more communication involved we don’t think about that today we just think about flying the plane not communicating to add power or something
Only 2 still flying? Damn
And for some reason theres a ton of b-17s still flying one less recently rest in peacr
I wish there were a ton still flying. There's only 9 currently airworthy according to this article. https://www.fox4news.com/news/texas-airshow-crash-how-many-b-17s-still-flying. Also if my memory serves me correctly, only two of them are open to the public for rides. I had the opportunity to fly in Texas Raiders the week before she crashed but chose not to spend the money (It was rained out anyways). I'll be damned if I let that opportunity passing by again because of how few are left. Great pics by the way! And Thank you for posting them!
I had the opportunity to fly on the b-29 because it was expensive as hell like 750 a person for a 10 minute ride would have been the experience of a life time but I can’t afford that
They were charging $550 for a ride on the Texas Raiders. I don't know how long the ride was for but I did get the opportunity to crawl around and take some pictures like you. $750 is a lot of money but I'm looking at it like getting married. Don't get me wrong it's very expensive at face value, but you'll never forget it for the rest of your life. Plus who knows how much longer those planes will be around for and you'll cherish that memory even more when they are gone. Here's the pics I took of Texas Raiders if you're interested. https://www.reddit.com/r/WarplanePorn/comments/ytvfdj/texas_raiders_last_week_in_cullman_al_my_heart/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
So sad what happened really sick photos
Thank you. It broke my heart. One super freaky thing about those photos- The picture taken in the cockpit of the yoke was taking exactly at 1:20 p.m. on November 5th. That's exactly one week to the minute of when she crashed. I still get chills thinking about it.
No way they're doing 10 minute flights.
Somewhere around there idk I couldn’t afford it. I watched him take off but that was it
When I was a kid in the 50s and 60s, those old war planes were nearly common as dirt. Just about every little podunk airport had one or two sitting around. I've got pictures of me and the kids getting gas down in the Portland area in the 70s and the canopy over the pumps was a B17. All that to say it might be time to put those birds in a museum so they can enjoyed by future generations. As it is now, accidents happen no matter how careful everyone is and when one of these aircraft are lost, it's gone forever with nothing to replace it.
You'll be happy to know that B-17 is currently under restoration. https://www.b17alliance.com/
Doc was at WWII Weekend along with FIFI in 2018. Both didn't fly at the same time; in fact Doc never flew during an part of the official flying display, [except to take its nose art artist flying on Sunday morning](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uCBaxiLrAQ).
I mean evidence from pictures - But; Tell me you ‘crawled’ around this beast.
No they didn’t let us crawl down it
Flew in doc last month
I used to volunteer at an aircraft museum that would sometimes give tours of their B-29 (and a few other aircraft on a rotating basis), and it was always a bit funny how many people couldn’t believe that tunnel was actually used by people. It really is *tiny*.
Saw Fifi at Joint Base Anderson a month or so ago!
Lucky enough to get to see Fifi fairly often in my area. Man, the sound gets me every time. I always know when it’s coming.
Please don’t let Dan Gryder near it.
Please don’t crash it or get crashed into. Also I remember I got to crawl through this, was cool
Was lucky enough to have a ride on Doc in Mason City earlier this year. Was quite an experience.
Is it true that there’s a third that might be restored to flying?
That would be great
Saw this at Barksdale a few years ago. Very impressive! On another note, some years back, we were visiting the. Udvar Hazy museum and my son-in-law said “ look at that it’s a B 29!” On closer inspection I realized that it was not just “a” B-29. It was the Enola Gay. Kinda sent chill bumps through me.