Wings to conduct night flying during exercise Published Dec. 3, 2012 HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah -- 388th and 419th Fighter Wing pilots will conduct night flying missions during a "surge" exercise Dec. 4-6. Local residents may hear F-16s flying during the night hours as pilots continue to sharpen their night-time combat flying skills. The active duty 388th FW and the Reserve 419th FW share a fleet of Block 40 F-16s and are required to train at night to maintain their readiness and all weather capabilities. A surge exercise also provides a valuable opportunity to evaluate aircraft maintenance resiliency and operational agility. "With a surge like this, it takes a little time to prepare and some time to recover, but it's nothing out of the ordinary for us," said Col. Gregory Sarakatsannis, vice commander of the 388th FW. The wings limit night operations to what is required to remain proficient in night-flying training. When on a surge schedule, the wings will increase their normal day-to-day workload and conduct missions from 8 a.m. until shortly after midnight. The 388th and 419th continue to train regularly, ensuring they can rapidly provide expeditionary air combat capability in defense of the nation.