HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah -- Look to the skies this Independence Day, as the 419th Fighter Wing will continue its tradition of supporting the 4th of July flyovers over the communities across northern Utah.
Utahns may catch a glimpse of four F-35A Lightning II jets as they make their way to events in Vernal and Park City. Or catch them as the aircrafts fly across the Wasatch Front, to include the Salt Lake City area, beginning around 9:00 a.m. and landing just after 11:15 a.m.
The 419th FW’s July Fourth flyover tradition began more than 30 years ago, and the wing typically supports over a dozen community celebrations all across Utah.
Flying the jets will be Maj. James Rosenau, Maj. Daniel Huber, Maj. Daniel Toftness, and Maj. Christopher Collins, who have a combination of over 10,000 flying hours throughout their military careers.
Also working that day to make the flyovers happen are more than 40 maintainers and support personnel from the 419th FW and active duty 388th FW.
The 419th FW is the first Air Force Reserve unit to fly and deploy with the operational F-35A. The 419th and 388th at Hill AFB fly and maintain a fleet of 78 jets in a Total Force partnership, which capitalizes on the strength of both the active duty and Reserve components.
About the 419th Fighter Wing
The 419th FW is made up of nearly 1,200 personnel. These “Citizen Airmen” serve part time in the military but are full- time members of the local community. Most live, work, and raise families in Northern Utah. 419th FW members regularly volunteer to deploy in support of contingency operations and humanitarian efforts around the world. The 419th FW offers a diverse range of combat capability to include F-35 operations and maintenance, as well as full-spectrum mission support such as civil engineering, security forces, medical, aerial port, firefighting, supply, and transportation. The 419th FW was the first Air Force Reserve unit to fly the F-35A Lightning II alongside the active-duty 388th FW at Hill AFB.