By ALEX RIVERA
America Newsworld
September 20, 2025The Boeing B-29 Superfortress changed the world. It flew high over Japan in World War Two. It dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Today, only two still fly. They belong to the Commemorative Air Force. One pilot flies them. His name is Randall Haskin. He is 52 years old. He lives in Las Vegas. He flies freight planes for a big company. But he loves old warbirds. He tells us what it is like to fly the B-29. It feels like leading a team. It is hard work. But it honors the past.

Credit: Scott Slocum) The Commemorative Air Force in the US flies the only two airworthy Boeing B-29s, the most expensive weapon of World War Two. One pilot tells BBC Future what it feels like to fly them.

This story is big. The B-29 cost more than the atomic bomb project. It pushed tech to the limit. It helped shape modern planes. We will explore its history. We will meet Haskin. We will learn about flying it today. This is for aviation fans. It is for history lovers. It shows why these old birds still soar.

The Birth of a Giant: Designing the B-29

World War Two needed a super bomber. The US Army Air Corps wanted it in 1940. It had to fly far. It had to carry big bombs. It had to go high and fast. Boeing started work. They called it Model 345. It beat designs from other companies.The first prototype flew in 1942. It was the XB-29. It took off from Boeing Field in Seattle. But problems came fast. Engines overheated. One crashed in 1943. Another burned on the ground.

The B-29 was World War Two’s largest bomber, and weighed more than 40 tonnes (Credit: Getty Images)

Boeing fixed the issues. They made big changes. The B-29 had new features. It was the first bomber with a pressurized cabin. Crews could breathe at high altitudes. It had remote-controlled guns. An early computer aimed them. It had tricycle landing gear. That is still on modern jets.The wings were long and thin. They cut drag. Four big engines powered it. Each had 18 cylinders. They made over 2,200 horsepower each.Building it was huge. It cost $3 billion. That is like $52 billion today. More than the Manhattan Project.Factories spread across the US. Boeing built most in Wichita and Renton. Bell made some in Georgia. Martin did in Omaha. They made 3,970 planes by 1946.Workers riveted 600,000 per plane. Parts numbered 40,000. It was the biggest plane project ever.The B-29 weighed 40 tons loaded. It flew 5,800 miles. Top speed hit 357 mph. It carried 20,000 pounds of bombs. Crew was 11 men. They sat in two pressurized areas. A tunnel linked them over the bomb bay.Guns included 12 .50-caliber machine guns. One 20mm cannon too. It was a flying fortress for real.

War in the Pacific: The B-29’s Deadly Missions

The B-29 went to war in 1944. It flew from India first. Bases were in China too. They bombed Japan from afar. The first raid hit Yawata in June 1944. All planes came from Wichita.

Randall Haskin’s father Bruce (left) used to fly in B-29s in the 1950s; here he is seen travelling with his son in a CAF bomber (Credit: CAF)

But high-altitude runs failed. Winds were strong. Bombs missed targets. Engines still caught fire. Heat in the Pacific made it worse.General Curtis LeMay changed plans. He sent B-29s low at night. They dropped incendiary bombs. Fire destroyed cities. Tokyo burned on March 9, 1945. One raid killed 100,000 people. It was the deadliest air attack ever.B-29s mined harbors too. They blocked Japanese ships. Over 3,000 mines sank 1 million tons of shipping.The biggest missions came in August 1945. Special B-29s called Silverplate carried atomic bombs. They dropped armor and most guns. Bomb bays got new doors. Fifteen planes joined the 509th Group.Enola Gay flew first. On August 6, it hit Hiroshima. Little Boy bomb killed 70,000 instantly. Bockscar followed on August 9. Fat Man struck Nagasaki. It killed 40,000. Japan surrendered days later. The war ended.B-29s flew 20,000 sorties in the Pacific. They dropped 160,000 tons of bombs. Losses were low. Only 414 planes down. That was 1% of the fleet.Crews faced fire risks. They flew in bad weather. But the plane saved lives by ending the war fast.One crew flew 37 missions. Their plane was T-Square 54. It now sits in a museum.After WWII, B-29s kept flying. They went to Korea in 1950. They bombed bridges and factories. Jets like MiGs shot some down. So they flew at night.They also became tankers. They refueled fighters in air. Some did rescue missions. They dropped food to POWs.

The last left service in 1960.

From Warbird to Relic: Keeping the B-29 Alive

Haskin also flies the B-24 Liberator, the most-produced US bomber made during World War Two (Credit: Getty Images)

Most B-29s went to scrap after the war. They stored them in deserts. But moisture ruined many. Only 26 survive today. Twenty-four are in museums. Just two fly: FIFI and Doc.FIFI started it all. The Navy used her as a target at China Lake. CAF members saved her in 1971. They restored her for three years. She flew again in 1974. Named after a donor’s wife.But engines failed in 2006. They grounded her. A $1.2 million fix came in 2008. New engines from old planes. She flew again in 2010.FIFI tours the US. She does airshows. People ride for $600.Doc was lost too. Built in Wichita in 1944. She flew in the war. Then radar duty. Later a target. Found in 1987 in the desert. Restored by volunteers. First flight in 2016.Doc tours too. She honors the Greatest Generation. Both planes meet at shows. Like at Oshkosh in 2024.The Commemorative Air Force keeps them going. They have 13,000 members. They fly 181 warbirds. It costs millions. Rides pay some. Donations help more.Volunteers fix engines. They check controls. Safety first. These planes are 80 years old. Parts are rare

Meet the Pilot: Randall Haskin’s Path to the Cockpit

Randall Haskin grew up with planes. He saw airshows as a kid. He has photos with B-24s and B-29s. His dad, Bruce, flew B-29s in the 1950s. He was a flight engineer.Bruce told stories. Randall listened. He joined the Air Force. He flew F-15 fighters in Iraq in 2003.Now he flies cargo jets. But he loves history.Haskin joined CAF in the 2000s. He started with the T-6 Texan trainer. It is a small warbird. Then he met the bomber boss. The man said, “Want to fly big ones?” Haskin said yes fast.He moved to the B-24 Liberator. It was the most built bomber of WWII. Over 18,000 made. Haskin calls it great but terrible. It handles slow.He flew it two years. As co-pilot then captain.In 2017, he got the B-29. FIFI was the only flyer then. CAF guarded her close. Few pilots allowed. Haskin trained hard. His first ride was overwhelming. The cockpit is glass-fronted. Views are huge.It looks like the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars. Designers copied it.Haskin flies FIFI mostly. He leads the crew. He is operations officer too. He flies B-24 and trainers. He does airshows. He takes passengers up.His dad flew with him once. In a CAF bomber. Family history in the sky.

Inside the Cockpit: What Flying a B-29 Feels Like Today

Flying the B-29 is team work. Haskin calls it leadership by committee. There are six crew now. Pilot, co-pilot, engineer, three scanners.In war, it was 11. The engineer watches engines. They are key. Pilots can’t check them alone.Start up takes time. Engines are big. Wright R-3350s. Each over a ton. They need care. A fire guard helps outside. He checks starts. Crew talks on intercom. Checklist is long. It runs 40 minutes in old films. Haskin plans 45.Switches and levers fill the dash. It looks old. But it works.Taxi is tricky. No nose wheel steering. Use rudders and brakes. Throttles help turn. Pros make it smooth. New pilots wobble.Runway roll needs 80 mph for rudder. Takeoff at 125. But wait for 190. That is safe speed. If an engine quits between 80 and 125, stay down.The plane feels underpowered. It climbs slow. Flaps drag it down fast.Power changes need words. Tell the engineer exact manifold pressure. Not just “more.” Too much or little spells trouble.Haskin uses brain parts he forgets in jets. It is like driving as a teen. Now you do it smooth.He jokes about not looking like a clown on YouTube.Practice engine-outs. Two out is hard. It sucks, Haskin says. Plan energy state. Or crash.But risks are low. Planes are checked well. Flights are short. 20 to 30 minutes. Like Driving Miss Daisy. Show off the bird. Passengers walk around. They smell oil. Hear props roar. Feel the shake.Landing thrills. Nose down view is close. Trees look near. Haskin lifts his feet sometimes.The cockpit is like an orchestra. Everyone plays part. Scanners check wings. They report issues.Little automation. Test everything. Treat engines nice.

The Last Flyers: FIFI and Doc in Action

FIFI and Doc tour yearly. They hit airshows. EAA Oshkosh is big. They met there in 2024. First time since 2018FIFI displayed July 22-24. Doc July 25-28. Rides at Appleton airport.They honor D-Day’s 80th. And WWII end.Doc flew to DC in 2020. For WWII 75th. Weather stopped a flyover. But it honored vets.In 2021, Doc hit 17 cities. Back to China Lake after 60 years.FIFI tours coast to coast. New engines help.Rides cost $600-$1,400. Bombardier seat is front. Gunner in back. 90-minute total. 30 in air.Briefings teach history. No refunds for fear. But medical ones yes.Book early. They sell out.CAF is a flying museum. It tells war stories. Engages public. Haskin says it honors designers and crews.They fly P-51s too. Fighters with bombers.

Legacy in the Skies: How the B-29 Shaped Tomorrow

The B-29’s iconic glazed cockpit influenced the design of theMillenniumFalcon’s in Star Wars (Credit: Dylan Phelps)

The B-29 changed aviation. It brought pressurized cabins. Modern jets use them. Tricycle gear is standard now. High wings cut fuel use.It led to the B-50. That flew around the world non-stop in 1949.Then B-47 and B-52. Still flying today.It influenced airliners. Boeing 377 Stratocruiser came from it. That flew passengers post-warCargo versions like Guppy carry big loads for NASA.The B-29 showed what war can do. Tech jumps fast in need.In pop culture, it is famous. Star Wars copied the nose for Han Solo’s ship. Movies like Above and Beyond tell its story. Colonel Tibbets leads the atomic run.Bands named B-52s after later bombers. But roots trace back.It is in games and books. Kids learn from it.The B-29 teaches lessons. War costs lives. But innovation saves too. Haskin flies to remember. To show the young. These planes must fly on.Why It Matters: Keeping the Flame AliveIn 2025, the world needs reminders. WWII is fading. Vets are few. Planes like FIFI and Doc keep stories alive. Haskin says it is like a museum in air. Touch it. Hear it. Feel it.

CAF educates. Inspires. Honors.

Challenges stay. Parts are old. Costs rise. But passion wins. Volunteers give time. Donors give cash.Future pilots learn. They see what came before. Jets owe the B-29Haskin dreams of more flights. With his dad gone, he carries the torch. “It is overwhelming,” he says. But worth it.The B-29 is more than metal. It is history’s roar.Next time you fly commercial, think B-29. It paved the way. And when you see FIFI overhead, wave. A piece of glory passesAmerica News world brings you stories from the skies and beyond. Follow for more.