Doc’s Friends Inc., Wichita, Kansas, has announced that the B-29 DOC History Restored Tour stop in Wilmington, North Carolina, has been moved from May 14-17 to September 24-27. The event, which will feature Boeing B-29 Superfortress DOC and the North American P-51 Mustang Gunfighter, was postponed because of ongoing maintenance work on DOC. The aircraft’s 2026 tour season has been delayed while work continues on two of its four engines.
“Two of DOC’s four engines have been undergoing extensive maintenance and inspection since December as part of our continued commitment to the safety and reliability of the aircraft,” said Josh Wells, B-29 DOC chief executive officer. “One of the two engines was reinstalled on the aircraft in late April, but the second engine is still being repaired by our engine vendor and not expected back on DOC’s airframe until later this month. While we had hoped to begin our tour season in April, the extended timeline for the engines to return to Wichita has required additional maintenance and testing before the aircraft can safely return to flight operations. This has driven our decision to postpone the event in Wilmington until September.”
The rescheduled event will still take place at Wilmington International Airport and will include both aircraft. DOC is one of 1,644 Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombers built in Wichita, Kansas, during WWII, and is one of only two B-29s still airworthy and flying today. P-51 Gunfighter is a D-model Mustang and one of fewer than 150 surviving examples from the roughly 15,000 Mustangs built during the war. Passengers who had already purchased ride flight tickets have been contacted individually by the DOC and Gunfighter teams with rebooking options. Under the new schedule, DOC is expected to arrive in Wilmington on Wednesday, September 23, while Gunfighter is scheduled to arrive on Thursday, September 24. Public access will be at 2022 Control Tower Drive, Wilmington, NC 28405, rather than the main airport terminal. Ground and cockpit/ramp tours are planned for Thursday and Friday, September 24 and 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days.
B-29 DOC Flight Experience rides are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, September 26 and 27, at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., followed by ground and cockpit tours from noon to 4:30 p.m. on both days. P-51 Gunfighter ride flights are planned from September 25-27. The aircraft will also be on static ramp display during the event when it is not flying. Ramp and cockpit tour admission will be $10 per person or $20 per family, with tickets available at the gate on the day of the event. Ride flight tickets for both aircraft are already on sale. Click HERE to book tickets for the B-29 DOC rides and click HERE to book tickets for the P-51 Gunfighter airplane rides. For more information and to support the B-29 DOC, click on this link: www.b29doc.com.
