(Image Credit: CAF Ghost Squadron)
The Commemorative Air Force’s (CAF) Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber FIFI returns to Florida this February and March.FIFI will visit local airports in 10 Florida cities accompanied by other aircraft including P-51 Mustang The Brat III the famous C-45 Expeditor ‘Bucket of Bolts’; a T-6 Texan; and a Fairchild PT-19. Additional CAF airplanes will join the tour in several cities. The aircraft, all part of the CAF AirPower History Tour, will be on display and offering rides throughout each stop.The Boeing B-29 FIFI operated by the CAF is the only one still flying in the world. It was discovered at a Navy weapons center near China Lake, California, in 1971 and brought to Texas. It was first flown at air shows in 1974 and has been continually restored and upgraded, most recently this past winter with the replacement of the one of the Curtiss-Wright 3350 engines. The airplane was christened FIFI in 1974 in honor of the wife of Col. Victor N. Agather, who had been on the wartime development team for the aircraft and had been personally committed and involved with the airplane’s restoration in the early 1970s.
The Florida tour stops include:
Pensacola, February 13 – 16
Leesburg, February 17 – 19
Clearwater, February 20 – 23
Sarasota, February 25 – March 2
Naples, March 3 – 5
Ft. Myers, March 6 – 9
Lakeland, March 11 – 16
Vero Beach, March 17 – 19
Orlando, March 20 – 23
Deland, March 25 – 26
Jacksonville, March 27 – 30
Born in Milan, Italy, Moreno moved to the U.S. in 1999 to pursue a career as a commercial pilot. His aviation passion began early, inspired by his uncle, an F-104 Starfighter Crew Chief, and his father, a military traffic controller. Childhood adventures included camping outside military bases and watching planes at Aeroporto Linate. In 1999, he relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, to obtain his commercial pilot license, a move that became permanent. With 24 years in the U.S., he now flies full-time for a Part 91 business aviation company in Atlanta. He is actively involved with the Commemorative Air Force, the D-Day Squadron, and other aviation organizations. He enjoys life with his supportive wife and three wonderful children.
How can I arrange to fly in the B29.?