PRESS RELEASE – Visitors to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2017 will be treated to a tremendous cross-section of bombers, including what we expect to be the first joint appearance of two flyable B-29s in decades, more than a dozen B-25s, and now, two from the U.S. Air Force’s current inventory, the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress and the Rockwell (now Boeing) B-1 Lancer.
The massive eight-engine B-52, known to some as the “BUFF,” is the backbone of the U.S. strategic bomber fleet, and is expected to remain so for decades to come. When it finally retires sometime in the mid-2040s, the type will have been in active service for an incredible 90 years, having been introduced in February of 1955. This only marks the second time that a B-52 will be displayed on the ground at AirVenture.
First flown in 1974, the swing-wing Rockwell B-1 Lancer, affectionately known as the “Bone,” didn’t enter service until 1986. The project was famously cancelled in 1977, then restarted four years later. The B-1 is like a bomber designed for fighter pilots. It’s sleek, maneuverable, and fast: capable of Mach 1.25, it’s the only supersonic strategic bomber in the U.S. inventory.
With he participation of two B-29 Superfortress, “FIFI” and ‘Doc“, the B-52 and the B-1, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2017 will be remembered as “the year of the bomber.”
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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.
