PHOENIX — A piece of WWII aviation history is on display in north Phoenix, as a non-profit shows off a rare plane that was once used for destruction and is now used for education.
The B-29 Superfortress, known as” Doc”, will be on display Tuesday and Wednesday at Deer Valley Airport. Those who are interested can not only tour the inside of the 1940s era bomber but also take a 90-minute flight.
One of only two fully operational B-29s in the world, Doc comes from humble beginnings.
MISSED IT BY THAT MUCH
B-29 No. 44-69972, later known as Doc, was one of 1,644 B-29s built in 1944. No. 44-69972 rolled off the assembly line at the Boeing plant in Wichita, Kansas in 1944.
B-29 bombers played an important role for the military in both Europe and the Pacific. A B-29 Bomber, Enola Gay, was the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb, decimating the city of Hiroshima, Japan.
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Doc didn’t see that type of action. While being prepared for service in 1945, the war ended before Doc could get off the ground.
With the war over, Doc was assigned to a Radar Calibration squadron called “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, where Doc got his name.
FROM THE GRAVEYARD
After Doc’s service was no longer needed, he ended up in the Mojave Desert like many other B-29s. Desert creatures made a home, and presumably a nice life for themselves, inside Doc’s fuselage.
That all changed in 1987, when a former B-29 Flight Engineer, Tony Mazzolini, discovered the warbird and started the process of salvaging the bomber.
It took nearly 30 years from that fateful day when Mazzolini first laid his eyes on Doc, until the day when Doc got to stretch his wings and fly once again. After 16 years of restoration work by a group of volunteers, who would become part of Doc’s Friends. Doc was ready for his new mission: Education.
A NEW MISSION
Doc now tours the United States, teaching those who have no memories of the days of the B-29 lessons of ingenuity, sacrifice and a can-do spirit that permeated America during World War II.
Children learn of the early days of aviation, while those a bit older reconnect with a part of their lives that seldom offers the tangible reminders of their youth.
“That’s the special thing about touring with a B-29 is running into B-29 Veterans.” Josh Wells, General Manager of Doc’s Friends said. “Some of them cry with joy. They’re just overcome with emotion and they tell us their stories. That really is the magical part about touring with Doc and the reason why we restored the airplane.”
Doc will be available for a tour or for a flight Wednesday at Cutter Aviation at Deer Valley Airport. Visit Doc’s Friends website to purchase tickets for a flight.