Page 20 - Mar17ABS

Making History Fly
by Rebecca Groom Jacobs
“It flew like a good B-29.”
Six, simple words — representing decades of tireless work.
On July 17, 2016, history was made when a fully restored B-29 named “Doc” roared back into the sky for the first time in 60 years.
Everyone is in place by 8 a.m. Approximately 250 volunteers, supporters and media crowd the designated VIP watch area — a roped-off grassy strip by the McConnell Air Force Base runway in Wichita, Kansas.
It’s flight-perfect weather, with clear skies and light winds from the south. The energy is contagious. Hugs, smiles and high fives are shared all around. A day nearly 30 years in the making has finally arrived.
A few especially popular attendees include Tony Mazzolini, Doc’s rescuer, Charles Chauncey, a World War II B-29 pilot, and Connie Palacioz, a real-life Rosie the Riveter (who riveted a portion of Doc’s nose over 70 years ago). Individuals who represent the large numbers of airmen, factory workers and patriots this airplane’s mission is meant to honor.
“The reason I started this project is to help keep the memories alive and this national treasure visible,” Mazzolini later reflected. “After you put in so many years, it’s hard for me to put into words how it felt to get to first flight. But it was emotional, there is no doubt about that.”
Just south of the fenced runway, more than 1,000 people of all ages have gathered, some who have traveled hours from neighboring states to witness the event. Police have barricaded the street to safely accommodate the masses.
Additional spectators include more than 65,000 viewers who have tuned in to watch Doc take flight via a live web stream. Over the years, social media has helped Doc accumulate thousands of passionate followers and fans from all over the world.
Nearby, four massive 3,600-horsepower hybrid radial engines roar to life, one at a time. The ground- shaking rumble is the product of Doc’s hybrid Curtiss-Wright 3350-95W and R-3350-26WD engines.
The flight crew aboard is primarily composed of B-29 flight crewmembers from the world’s only other flying B-29, FIFI, operated by the Commemorative Air Force. The crew made several trips
First Flight
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March 2017
PHOTO COURTESY OF PAUL BOWEN