One of the world’s last flying Boeing B-29 Superfortresses will once again draw crowds to Wisconsin this summer as EAA AirVenture Oshkosh prepares for its 73rd edition.
The aircraft nicknamed Doc is scheduled to participate in the world’s largest annual warbird gathering from July 20-26, 2026 at Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH) in Oshkosh. According to organizers, Doc will provide flight experiences operating from nearby Appleton International Airport (KATW) between July 20 and 23. It will then take center stage on Boeing Plaza for public viewing and cockpit tours on July 24-26.
EAA Vice President of Communities and Member Programs Rick Larsen welcomed the return. He noted that AirVenture represents the premier event for warbird enthusiasts and that Doc remains a consistent favorite whenever it appears.
The Superfortress played a transformative role in aviation history. Designed as a high-altitude strategic bomber with advanced features including pressurized crew cabins and remotely controlled defensive gun systems, the B-29 offered unmatched range, payload and endurance compared to earlier heavy bombers like the B-17. Two B-29s famously delivered atomic weapons that helped end World War II in the Pacific. Many airframes later supported Cold War missions including radar calibration, atmospheric sampling and even experimental airborne television transmission.
Doc, serial number 44-69972, rolled out of Boeing’s Wichita factory in 1945. It served with a squadron informally called “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” at Griffiss Air Force Base in New York, where each aircraft carried distinctive Disney-inspired nose art. After retirement from military service in 1956, the bomber endured years as a target on the Navy’s China Lake range in California before being identified for preservation.
Restoration efforts began in earnest in the late 1980s under the leadership of Tony Mazzolini. The project eventually moved the airframe back to its birthplace in Wichita in 1998. Doc’s Friends Inc., a nonprofit organization, oversaw more than 450,000 volunteer hours of work spanning nearly two decades. The aircraft returned to flight in 2016 and now tours the country each season offering unique flight experiences while supporting educational programs.
Visitors to the group’s Wichita facility can explore exhibits including an actual 34-foot pressurized tunnel once used to connect crew compartments aboard B-29s. The organization emphasizes hands-on learning about the men and women who designed, built and flew these complex machines during World War II and the Korean War.
This year’s AirVenture participation aligns with the America 250 commemoration, connecting the B-29’s technological achievements to more than a century of American aerospace progress. The other airworthy Superfortress, FIFI, operated by the Commemorative Air Force, has also appeared at the event in recent years, occasionally allowing the rare sight of two B-29s together.
Tickets for Doc’s flight experiences during AirVenture week are available through the organization’s website and typically include a detailed crew briefing before passengers board the meticulously maintained warbird for approximately 30 minutes aloft.
As summer approaches, aviation enthusiasts are already marking their calendars for what promises to be a memorable salute to one of history’s most significant aircraft.