CAF Pilot Achieves Milestone
(September 5, 2025) A CAF pilot has done something that hasn’t been done for at least 65 years. CAF Col Mark Novak, a CAF member for over 30 years, has exceeded 1000 hours in the B-29.
Novak’s B-29 flying started on FIFI in 2012. After a year of flying as the Second in Command, he upgraded to Pilot in Command. He flew FIFI from 2012 to 2022 and accumulated 320 hours. He has returned to fly FIFI this year and flown some of the test flights and a tour stop amassing 331 hours in FIFI.
In 2016 as restoration of the second airworthy B-29 Superfortress was being completed by Doc’s Friends, Inc., in Wichita, KS, Novak was called upon to fly for DOC during its flight test phase. A year later when DOC started its touring program in 2017, Novak was named the Chief Pilot for Doc’s Friends. Since 2016, he has logged more than 669 hours in DOC.
Novak was a career Air Force pilot. Following graduation from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1984, he flew T-37s and T-38s at Vance AFB, Oklahoma. His first assignment was to fly Air Force Learjets at Offutt AFB, NE, where his was CINCSAC’s Instructor Pilot. From there he flew the B-1B bomber at Dyess AFB in Texas and was a Formal Training Unit Instructor Pilot. He returned to the Academy where he was an Air Officer Commanding of a Cadet Squadron 30, a TG-7 Instructor Pilot and an Executive officer to the Wing Commander. He retired as an Evaluator Pilot in the KC-135R for the Lincoln NE Air National Guard with 27 ½ years of service.
Novak’s service to the Commemorative Air Force is equally impressive. He has served as the unit leader of the West Texas Wing, served 11 ½ years on the General Staff and a year and a half as the CAF Chief of Staff. He also served as the CAF’s Director of Operations for 2 years. He currently sits on the CAF Foundation Board of Directors.
Novak is a Command rated CAF Pilot having flown the L-5, BT-13, T-6, A-26, B-24 and B-29. He is also a former member of the CAF Standardization and Evaluation Committee.
The B-29 is the fifth aircraft type in which Novak has accumulated more than 1,000 hours. He has over 1900 hours in the KC-135, 1,500 hours in the C-21, 1,400 in the B-1, and 1,200 hours in the North American T-6.
Mark Novak is married and lives in Dawson, NE, and has four grown children. He owns a T-6, a BT-13, and a Cessna 120.
The B-29 was considered a Heavy Bomber in World War II. There were 3,960 aircraft produced from 1943 to 1946. Only two remain today in flying condition and another 20 in museums or storage. The B-29 saw service in the U.S. Air Force until 1960.
Records are not available for Air Force pilots on flying time. Most of the high time pilots flew 50-100 hours before combat in the B-29, then flew up to 35 combat missions that lasted 12-15 hours. After World War II, the B-29 was used as a bomber but also used in specialize service as a reconnaissance aircraft, radar platform or airborne refueling aircraft.
