A World War II-era B-29 Superfortress, called “Doc” took to the sky again Sunday at McConnell AFB, Kan., after 16 years of restoration. The aircraft last flew in 1956 and sat in the Mojave Desert for decades until enthusiast, and former owner, Tony Mazzolini found it in 1987, according to a McConnell release. In 2000, Doc was transported to Wichita, for restoration, but funds became tight. Local supporters formed a nonprofit group, Doc’s Friends, in 2013 to finish the job. The Pentagon approved ground testing of the B-29 and the eventual use of a non-joint-use runway at McConnell in June. Connie Palacioz, 91, who put the first rivets into Doc when she was 18 years old, was there to watch Sunday. “I never thought I would live to see this day but I did,” she said, according to the release. A video of the flight is available here. (Read more about Doc’s restoration in Wingman Magazine.)
The Senate passed its version of the 2026 National Defense Authorization bill late Oct. 9 with new language restricting retirements for B-1 bombers and E-3 AWACS. Now lawmakers from the House and Senate must set about resolving the differences between their two bills, which could lead to significant changes for…
