B-29 "Doc" Ride

Took a ride on B-29 "Doc" at the Mason City airport in Iowa.
They visit several cities through the summer and offer rides to the public.
www.b29doc.com/rides/
Here is a link to the news story that was being done on the young boy who got to ride in the bombardiers seat.
www.weareiowa.com/article/fea...

[@jaywalker3087]

Thankyou from an RAF vet.

[@geologyjohn1]

The first time that I was on Doc was in the summer of 1977 on Baker Range at China Lake where I was working. I crawled through Doc and took ~ 5 photographs that were forwarded to the CAF. The second time that I was on Doc was on July 9, 2023 (46 years later). I spent ~30 minutes in the Bombadier’s seat while flying over Wichita. I got closure on a big event in my life. Thank you so much to those that restored this aircraft and to those that arranged for me to fly on Doc almost a half century later!

[@dawnsokolik7837]

Thanks for your part in saving Doc.

[@Paul1958R]

Thank you for this. My father was a USAAF B-29 navigator 1944-1945. He died in 2016 age 94. I have his original flight jacket with squadron insignia. My family are members of Friends of Doc and I have followed Doc's saga since Tony Mazzolini's early website (c 2000?). We have seen FIFI at Boire Field in Nashua NH. We would LOVE to see DOC - please bring him east to New England! Paul (in MA)

[@WAL_DC-6B]

Wow! Nice footage of the flight engineer "running up" the engines. Something you seldom see. Thanks for sharing!

[@vincentwang4848]

What a lucky little boy !!!

[@TomVeik]

I know! When he goes back to school and they ask him what he did on his summer vacation, he'll have a fun story.

[@dfirth224]

The news article said he saved $1,500 to fly in that seat, including a Go Fund Me account. Well worth it.

[@alialalwy8977]

I know another little boy who traveled on the same plane, but in the bomb section and not in this seat

[@garywade1938]

The young fella up front has a moment of his life that will last forever , good for him .

[@obhuicoksetyaetse1]

Yes he will and I hope he takes his kids on a ride someday

[@nthom1956]

Yep, he will remember that flight! Haven't had a chance to fly in a B-29 but have flown in a B-17. Navigator seat for takeoff and Bombadier seat for landing in CAF "Sentimental Journey".

[@Chilly_Billy]

The C-47, "That's All, Brother" was the lead Skytrain for the first parachute drop into Normandy on D-Day. It is a very significant aircraft.

[@TomVeik]

Right! I didn't know the significance of this specific plane until I talked with other people at the airport. It's so good that they were able to bring this plane back and restore it to it's D-Day configuration.

[@pimuce]

@@TomVeikhow many B-29 are still able to fly in the world ? (Like this one )? Very beautiful collector plane ! If I believe that technician behind coordinates the 4 engine ?

[@TomVeik]

@pimuce There are two B-29 currently flying. This one, "Doc" and also "FiFi"

[@pimuce]

@@TomVeik Thanks 😊 my dream is to see on real

[@michaelintrieri6087]

You guys should also check out Whiskey 7 which is a C47 that led the second wave over St. Mere-Eglise

[@martinmoc4173]

Greetings from middle Europe....very nice video. So nice to view big plane...!!! thank you!

[@Triple5live]

Absolutely fantastic. What a ride the kid had. Bet he remembers that for the rest of his life. Wouldn’t be easy to sit there with that view beneath your feet.

[@alanhodge984]

in 1980 i was a member of the Carolinas Wing Confederate Air Force i was lucky enough to ride in upper gunner position on B-29 FiFi as we flew in formation with B24 Diamond Lil from Charlotte NC to Columbia SC

[@jeffanderson6795]

Thanks for this video….Amazing to experience

[@carltonfaldo2975]

Always a great looking plane and always modern looking

[@fishsquishguy1833]

Wow! That was a really great video! Thanks so much for making and sharing and thanks for not adding any music as well! You’re really lucky to have been ably to fly in a B29, not many airworthy examples out there. Definitely a bucket list experience!!!

[@traviscoxracing]

I've gotta try and get this done for my dad to ride. My grandfather was either the engineer or the radio operator in one of those planes

[@JohnKorvell]

My first flight was in a converted C47 to a passanger plane (West Coast Airways from KHQM) about 1957. I fell in love with WW2 era aircraft then and suspect this young boy is starting a similar romance of his own after this flight.

[@vettebecker1]

Very cool, great job on the restoration!!!

[@5thGenNativeTexan]

Same exact seat I rode in on Doc... I think it's the best seat in the house, especially if you want to see ALL the cockpit action, and still have great access to windows, etc.

[@TomVeik]

I agree. The bombardier's seat would be super cool, but you miss much of the rest of the B-29 experience.

[@joebloggs8785]

Thank you for sharing Tom. One heck of a ride!

[@coloffroad]

Cool. I got the cockpit seat in a 2020 flight in Wichita. It’s incredible.

[@4339jk]

Doc was at Allentown PA the weekend of May 11th and came back on the the 20 & 21st for an encore after the Dover show on it's way to Cincinnati so it's was well received here...

[@nicholasroberts6954]

From the UK. Brings it home . . .just imagine doing a 8-12 hour round trip from Tinian to Japan in that flight engineers station . Cramp or what . . .You'd have to be hoisted out at the end of the flight. Just imagine doing one of the initial low level flights over Japan and be greeted by hordes of Japanese Army and Navy fighters executing head-on attacks . . . and you're sitting there in the glasshouse, strapped-in, unable to move, hoping your gunners will nail them before they nail you. Or alternatiively over Korea with North Korean Mig 15s bearing down on you firing that 37mm cannon that could open the aircraft up like a can of sardines. What guts the aircrew of those times had. And for those that survived, there was no post-flight physical re-conditioning as there was later with SAC.

[@FranklinBurns42]

Well said. And imagine the boy’s age in that plane ranged from 18 to 25

[@Theultrazombiekiller]

My grandfather was a navigator in a B29 in 1951-52 during the Korean War. 34 B29s were lost during the Korean War. He just died last year in 2022 at the age of 93. He narrowly missed fighting in ww2 as he was just a few years too young. He was 16 when WW2 ended, born in 1929. I have his field bag consisting of a small tent, a sleeping bag, a water canteen, and a pocket knife. Never been washed and still has some Korean dirt on it. It is so brittle, the fabric is starting to fall apart.

[@TomVeik]

The field bag is a nice keepsake to have. Too bad it's deteriorating. Where was he based at? Do you know? The navigation skills back then always amazed me. How they could find their way across long distances over the ocean.

[@GhH-iq9lo]

고마워요 미국 iove usa

[@thunderbird1921]

What an incredible experience, thanks so much for posting! I've long had a soft spot for the B-29, partially because my Great-Uncle was a US Army infantryman during the Korean War. It's great to see one of the planes that helped give him air support, I'm so glad the Superforts are starting to be recognized more for their role in the early days of SAC, not just their part in ending World War II.

[@brianskeens647]

amazed at how much input the pilot has to put in the controls and how slowly the airplane was to react. What an amazing airplane though!

[@alpengewitter]

Wunderschön😊Danke für Ihr Video❤🗽🤙🏻

[@boblivingston4841]

Thanks for filming your ride in this spectacular B-29.

[@danshelburne1948]

Thanks for the view, couldn't afford the ride price when I got the tour at Sweetwater.

[@shortribslongbow5312]

Incredible flight, thanks for taking me along. :o)

[@stefanschutz5166]

Thank you so much from a CAF life member in Amsterdam. Great video!

[@bryanhall6581]

That’s awesome! Thank you for sharing!

[@tonymorgan9533]

What a fantastic experience and a great video...

[@ianaristotlethompson4186]

Quite a ride. Great video. Thanks.

[@jonorr7984]

That was awesome! Thanks for sharing!

[@jasonwidger5623]

My granddad was a B29 mechanic. I would love to see if he was working on one still flying

[@leonardlloyd1089]

Great to see history restored, Doc looks ready to go. I just hope FI FI can be repaired!

[@TomVeik]

What happened to FIFI? Is it not flying?

[@leonardlloyd1089]

@@TomVeik last I heard they had a landing gear issue during landing, which caused damage to the landing gear.

[@leonardlloyd1089]

@@TomVeik google fi fi crash. They didn't crash, but gear collapsed during landing. It's reportedly grounded indefinitely.

[@TomVeik]

When was that? They flew to Terre Haute IN Monday and have flights scheduled this weekend.

[@Paul1958R]

@@leonardlloyd1089 Lots of fake news. FIFI had to have a tire replaced. Thats it.

[@captainamerica3814]

Thank you for the ride.

[@jerrycarroll4581]

Great video. To put it in perspective imagine each of those crew seats filled with a 20 or 21 year old man going on a mission. Enemy aircraft coming up to shoot you down. Flak very think close to target but you can't turn back or even turn away. What brave men those were. Thank God we had them back then.

[@TheSlugstoppa]

That was ASTOUNDING to watch and if I'd been that young lad i'd have been grinning like a village idiot - Thanks for posting.

[@flyingfortressrc1794]

Awesome video Tom. Thanks for filming and posting this.

[@jamesdunne7481]

Excellent video

[@RobertMcGullam]

I would have loved to see a pre/post flight interview of the young man who flew in the bombardier seat to understand his passion. I myself have flown on FiFi. It was an honor and a tribute to my father.

[@TomVeik]

@RobertMcGullam I was thinking the same thing so I just did a search. I found it! Here is a link. www.weareiowa.com/article/features/b29-airplane-11-year-old-wes-gordon-pilot-dreams/524-82fc09bf-6f00-4e19-93e8-2abfc30255e5

[@jerryengles6701]

Would love to hear the intercom.

[@pauldavies7746]

Great video. The boy in the bombardier seat has a great story to tell at school.

[@oscarpellicer-zz7qm]

Tremendo Avión el B29. Mi favorito. Lastima que en este vídeo no se ve casi nada.

[@GereDJ2]

Totally gorgeous airplane. The Ruskys copied it bolt for bolt and nut for nut, converting inches to metric along the way.

[@davewinter2688]

Wow! I didn’t know there was an airport in Mason City long enough and heavy enough to handle a B29. It looks like he used every bit of it but that may be just how you edited. I did some of my growing up in Iowa and spent time at Clear Lake which is not far from Mason City and known for a not so great aviation event.

[@TomVeik]

It's a small airport. When we taxied, they had to shut down the two outboard engines and position the propellers so they wouldn't strike the elevated taxiway lights. We took off on runway 30 which is 5502 feet long and landed on runway 36 which is 6501 feet long. For reference, the runways on Tinian were 8500 feet long. Of course we were much lighter than a combat mission would have been.

[@mmmcosta]

What a lucky boy!!!

[@doulasc]

lucky kid,having the time of his life.

[@jettechdonatkins]

Living in Wichta very close to the airport,I've seen 'Doc' several times flying over my house.I also saw it taking off and landing while working as a licensed A &P at the Bombardier service center.Who is the pilot?

[@TomVeik]

I believe the pilot's name is Steve Zimmerman.

[@johnlang150]

Great Vid, how long was the flight?? Going on a Lancaster flight in 2 weeks and haven't slept much waiting for the day

[@TomVeik]

Nice! Where is your flight at? Out flight lasted 30 minutes.

[@damrgee8279]

Incredible

[@richardiredale3128]

Nice video, though I got to say I absolutely hate the CMOS rolling shutter effect of the strobed props. Next time, it would be great to use a real video camera with a conventional shutter that shows the props as a blur, just as the human eye perceives them. Back in the early '80s I was a young HP sales rep that had China Lake (CA) as part of my territory. One Friday afternoon I stopped by the Airfield and saw the abandoned B-29s including Doc, left there to rot at the end of the runway decades earlier. I had a chance to climb through Doc, and was sad to see how deteriorated the interior was. These guys have done a remarkable job of bringing the plane back to life.

[@TomVeik]

I did see pictures of the plane at China Lake, both inside and outside, and saw how deteriorated everything was. It's amazing how much work went into restoring it, and how well it turned out. Not just visually, but also to be flyable with enough confidence in safety to carry passengers. It would have been an honor to be part of that restoration team.

[@stevebauwer178]

Have they ever flew doc over the China lake where it was found?

[@1942rambo]

Super neat.

[@altonkenne579]

Is FIFI still flying ?

[@TomVeik]

Yes! Looks like Fifi had four flights in Terre Haute IN this weekend and they flew today from Terre Haute to Toledo OH.

[@Beechnut985]

Nice.

[@CalvinMorris-cf8jk]

good job.

[@ohmamaris2086]

Oh, poor boy

[@rogerrendzak8055]

Wait, I thought 'FIFI' was the ONLY flyable B-29, in the world🤨⁉️ Every little bit, of researched I did, confirms that. There's another, now???

[@TomVeik]

Yes, there are two B-29 currently flying, See this webpage for Doc www.b29doc.com/rides/

[@randemness2680]

Doc has been flying since 2019 I believe. Fifif and Doc have even flown together at Airventure

[@dfirth224]

Doc was rescued from being used for target practice at China Lake Naval Air Station. It was trucked to Wichita, Kansas, where it was built in 1944. Volunteers, including retired workers from the plant who assembled it in 1944, worked on it for months. Boeing even helped with the project. The outside was even buffed to a shine. I see some of the original instruments in the cockpit have been replaced with modern digital ones.

[@davidpage3893]

The Kee Bird was a B 29 that made an emergency landing in Greenland in 1947 or 48. The crew was rescued a few days later and the Kee Bird was abandoned on the frozen tundra until it was recovered by a team that replaced the engines, tires, propellers,and everything needed to get airworthy again. I believe it was in 1988 when the the attempt was made to fly it to the US Thule Air Force Base 200 miles away to check it over for more necessary repairs to have it fly as Fi Fi and Doc does today. When Kee Bird was taxiing to a ice-runway built by the crew the APU unit broke lose and splashed fuel and ignited and destroyed the plane on the ground. The crew tried desperately to put the fire out but couldn’t. No one was hurt, but this could’ve been fatal to the crew if the plane started burning while airborne. Such a sad lose.

[@michaelmurray7199]

@@randemness2680No, it was earlier than that. I saw him flying at JB Andrews in 2017.

[@justlovelyaintit]

I built the Enola Gay when I was 9 years old.Revell model.50 years ago. Wished I still had it.😢 On Christmas day I stuffed her with fireworks and blew her up.Some battle I was re- enacting.Almost burning the attic down .Things one did 😢as a child.

[@TomVeik]

I built one too for my father years ago. He displayed it with his other memorabilia.

[@edutaimentcartoys]

wow, Boeing B-29 Superfortress

[@Triple5live]

Now try flying it flat and slow for ten minutes to drop the bombs, with flack all around. Lol

[@StanislavLuminous]

На 1:09 седой дядька в очках - Друзь =)

[@A.R.L.-14]

I already thought that they flew to bomb Japan again .. The route is known, the crew flew off.

[@rgarrison1819]

Just Imagine, what it was like for Young American Men to take off in One of These Big Beautiful Girls from The Island of Quam on their way to Bomb Japan!, Not knowing each time, Whether they would make it back Alive!!!, Such Bravery and Sacrifice!!!, Thank You To The Greatest Generation from The Days of World War 2, You Saved The World from Tierney!!!!, and Thanks to All of America's Service Men & Women, Past and Present!!!!, We wouldn't be Here Today, and Free to Live Our Lives Without You!!!!

[@hikakin_mania440]

これ上昇させるの重そう

[@jonathansparks3386]

Bet the kid sleep for a month after rising in a B-29 Super Fortress. He’ll be a fly boy when he graduates from high school

[@vernonslone8627]

Nice leisurely ride on a piece of equipment that was built to bomb Japan...

[@ghost307]

And did an excellent job.

[@jettechdonatkins]

too bad 'Doc' never saw combat,that would be even sweeter.I've seen 'Doc' a few times in Wichita,I lived on the flight path to runway 19R and seeing and hearing it coming in for a landing was awesome.

[@ghost307]

@@jettechdonatkins Unfortunately when any equipment went oversees it was almost never brought home.

[@GhH-iq9lo]

North korea vs South korea

[@user-xv5hw3co6r]

FakingB29！fromJapan！

[@user-nm4yu3ry4e]

B-29 誇らしいですか ? 原爆投下で、長崎で7万9千人 広島で14万人いずれも非戦闘員 バイデンは言ぃました、あいっは 殺人者だと、本当の殺人者は誰ですか、

[@A.R.L.-14]

結局のところ、日本人は核爆弾を投下する人たちを愛しているのです。 たとえば、日本人はアメリカ人が大好きです。 しかし、彼らはロシア人や中国人が好きではありません。 おそらくまだ日本に爆弾を落としていないからでしょう。 日本人の愛の秘密が明らかに。