Doc and Fifi Will Reunite in Oshkosh in July 2025

The last two flying Boeing B-29 Superfortresses, dubbed Doc and Fifi, will be returning to Oshkosh, Wisconsin this summer for EAA Airventure. The bombers will be on display at the Boeing Plaza throughout the airshow.

The B-29 is truly a legendary aircraft. It was designed in 1940 and took the stage as the largest, most technologically advanced bomber in the US. From 1943 to 1946, nearly 4,000 Superfortresses were built. Of the 26 surviving B-29s, only two are airworthy: Doc and Fifi.

Doc rolled off the line in 1944 and served with the ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ squadron at Griffiss Air Force Base. In 1956, the bomber was retired and converted to a target for Naval training in China Lake, California. After sitting for 44 years, a restoration group took a disassembled Doc to Wichita, Kansas, and spent 16 years and 450,000 volunteer hours bringing it back to life. The bomber took its first post-restoration flight in July 2016 and is operated by the non-profit Doc’s Friends.

The second airworthy Superfortress is Fifi. In the early ‘70s, a team of Commemorative Air Force members tracked the plane-turned-missile target down at the Navy Proving Ground in China Lake, California. It was promptly restored and flown for more than 30 years until 2006 when it was grounded for a complete engine change. Fifi remained in the hangar for four years and returned to the skies in 2010 with four new custom power plants. The B-29 is now owned and operated by the CAF’s B-29/B-24 Squadron in Dallas, Texas.

The pair took their first joint flight in 2017. They have since appeared together around a half-dozen times, three being at EAA AirVenture. Doc and Fifi were a major part of last year’s show, taking turns centerstage at the Boeing Plaza and making a formation flight during a night event.

“As AirVenture is the world’s largest annual gathering of warbirds, bringing these two iconic aircraft together is another of those ‘Only at Oshkosh’ moments,” said Rick Larsen, EAA’s vice president of communities and member programs, who coordinates AirVenture features and attractions. “These airplanes are big favorites wherever they appear separately, but together they will make the occasion even more unforgettable.”

The iconic Superfortresses will make another rare appearance at AirVenture 2025. Fifi will be displayed at the EAA’s Boeing Plaza from July 21 to 23, then move out for Doc on July 24 to 27. They will take a formation flight at the July 23 night show and be available for flight experiences at Appleton International Airport (ATW) when not on display.

FMI: www.eaa.org