June, September Dates Available For Booking

Doc’s Friends, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit that owns and manages the historic B-29 Superfortress “Doc” has released the dates when the aircraft will be available for ride experiences in Wichita during the weekends of June 28-29 and September 12-13.

The organization and its aircraft are housed in the B-29 DOC Hangar, Education and Visitors Center at the Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (KICT) in Wichita, Kansas.

Doc is one of 1,644 manufactured at the Boeing Company’s plant in Wichita and was delivered to the U.S. Army Air Forces during the later stages of World War II in March 1945. The aircraft did not serve in combat and was converted to a radar calibration aircraft and based at Griffiss Air Force Base, now Griffiss International Airport (RME) in Rome, New York.

The dates Doc is available for ride bookings in Wichita are:

• June 28, 2025 at 9:00 am
• June 28, 2025 at 11:00 am
• June 29, 2025 at 9:00 am
• June 29, 2025 at 11:00 am
• September 13, 2025 at 9:00 am
• September 13, 2025 at 11:00 am
• September 14, 2025 at 9:00 am
• September 14, 2025 at 11:00 am

Doc burns about 450 gallons of 100LL avgas per flight  hour, contributing $3,375 per flight hour in fuel. In addition to fuel and oil, maintenance reserves for the props, engines, and other routine maintenance expenses, plus insurance, hangar expenses of ground lease, utilities, building maintenance and insurance are taken into account to arrive at a total average operating expense of $12,000-15,000 per flight hour.

With that in mind, it’s not hard to understand the pricing for rides on Doc:

• Bombardier, in the nose turret with a great view ($1,500)
• Cockpit/Pilot Observer, in the cockpit ($1,200)
• Radio Operator, in the cockpit ($1,200)
• Navigator, in the cockpit ($1,200)
• Master Gunner, in the center section ($600)
• Gunner, in the center section ($600 each, six seats)

FMI:  www.b29doc.com/