Sticking his head out just above the plane’s painted name-Enola Gay, after his mother-the 30-year-old husband and father gave a wave and a slight smile and began to taxi.Īt 2:45 a.m., the plane took off, and at 8:15 a.m., the crew of the Enola Gay released Little Boy, the world’s first nuclear weapon, over the city of Hiroshima, Japan. As the plane’s engines roared and its propellers spun, Tibbets looked out an open window at the crowd amassed on the runway. In the early-morning darkness of that historic day 75 years ago, Colonel Tibbets and his 11-man crew boarded the plane and began their preflight preparations. It was all leading to one day that would help end years of bloodshed and change the world forever. Even years before that, development of this revolutionary cargo began in secrecy under the direction of a physicist and an Army general in the mountains of Northern New Mexico. and his crew had practiced dropping dummy concrete bombs on targets in Wendover, Utah. And months before that, pilot Paul Tibbets Jr. Preparations on the tiny Pacific island-about 1,500 miles southeast of the plane’s intended target in Japan-had begun months before on April 3. Hours before the sun would rise over Tinian island on the morning of August 6, 1945, a B-29 airplane was positioned above a specially built bomb-loading pit, as crews readied the aircraft with cargo unlike anything the world had ever known. and others explain, delivering a 10,000-pound bomb to southern Japan was a years-long endeavor that required patience, practice, and precision. The flight took Doc to Whiteman AFB, Missouri to be part of the Wings Over Whiteman Airshow and open house June 10th and 11th, to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the Air Force.On August 6, 1945, the crew of the Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb designed at Los Alamos on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
![pilot of enola gay suicide pilot of enola gay suicide](https://media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_nbcnews-fp-1200-630,f_auto,q_auto:best/ap/6598576e-68a9-4d0d-97d6-cd5e17ae551c.jpg)
This helps us connect those that are here today to those that have come before us, and how important it is to understand what they did for us. They’re going to get to educate tens of thousands of people about the B-29 because they poured their heart and souls into this airplane. “We’re excited for (the volunteers), and their continued work. “When you think about Doc and you think about Fifi and all these warbirds that we have, they’re labors of love,” he said. Tibbets IV emphasized his appreciation for the time and effort the volunteers put into restoring Doc and bringing this piece of history back to life. It’ll be a great time to chat and catch up over our hour-long flight.” “I’ve known (Tibbets IV) for years and we’ll each get a turn to fly. “Doc is a piece of history, and the Tibbets name is historic because anyone who knows WWII knows about the general’s grandfather, Paul Tibbets Jr.,” said Novak. “When we have the opportunity to embrace that kind of heritage and that kind of history, it’s a real privilege and an honor.”īefore the flight, Doc’s pilot, Mark Novak, described the significance of having Tibbets IV on board. “It’s really about upholding the legacy of those who have come before,” he said. Now, 72 years after the historic WWII mission and nearly 10 years after the passing of his grandfather, Tibbets IV, who is traditionally a B-1 Lancer pilot and currently a B-2 Spirit pilot, once again boarded a B-29 to honor his grandfather.
![pilot of enola gay suicide pilot of enola gay suicide](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/montage/3c/authoring/2014/04/08/NOKL/ghnewsok_gallery-OK-6032729-f8a8234e.jpeg)
It was a great opportunity for me to be with him.” He and I got to fly Fifi together, which was awesome. “He had given up aviation and had not flown in any aircraft in a very long time. “The only time I ever flew with my grandfather was with Fifi,” said Tibbets IV. Paul Tibbets Jr., who piloted the B-29 Enola Gay when the aircraft and its crew dropped an atomic bomb on Japan, helping end World War II. In 1998, Tibbets IV, flew Fifi with his grandfather, retired Brig. Taking control of the aircraft means he has now flown the only two currently operational B-29s, Doc and Fifi. Paul Tibbets IV, the 509th Bomb Wing commander. (AFNS) - Wichita’s beloved B-29 Superfortress, Doc, took to the skies yet again June 9, 2017, from McConnell Air Force Base, this time with an added aspect of historical significance and Air Force heritage.