Hill AFB F-35 pilots eager to salute Utah front-line COVID-19 workers with statewide flyover

Capt. Kristin “BEO” Wolfe flies an F-35A Lightning II near at Hill Air Force Base on Thursday, March 5, 2020, while training for upcoming airshows. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

HILL AIR FORCE BASE — The skies over the Beehive State will be abuzz with excitement as the U.S. military’s top fighter aircraft will blaze a path through Utah saluting front-line medical responders and residents fighting to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Four members of Hill Air Force Base’s 388^th Fighter Wing will fly in formation across the state beginning at 1 p.m. Thursday. The group will be led by the Air Force F-35A Lightning II demonstration team’s Capt. Kristin Wolfe.

“This flyover is our way of saluting those that are keeping our homefront safe during these unique times,” Wolfe said. “To provide just a small showcase of our appreciation to everyone that is doing their part to combat the virus, and to say thank you for your sacrifice and service, to let everyone who has been affected by this pandemic know that we stand by you.”

The first female leader of Hill’s demo team will be accompanied by three fellow F-35 fighter pilots from the 388th: Capt. Zachary Saunders, Capt. Heath Williams and Capt. Shaun Dickinson.

“The intent is for us to try and basically reach as many hospitals and health care facilities as possible along the Wasatch Front,” explained Capt. Kip Sumner, spokesman for the demo team. “We’re going to be starting from Hill Air Force Base, and then we’re going to be going as far south as St. George and Ivins before looping back up to go to Park City and then hopefully Logan before returning back to base through Ogden.”

After departing from the Air Force base, the jets will fly over Salt Lake City around 1:10 p.m. crisscrossing the south end of the valley before heading west toward Tooele, then southeast into Utah County arriving about 1:15 p.m. The roughly two-hour round trip will follow I-15 south into central and southern Utah, arriving above Fillmore at approximately 1:35 p.m., then into the St. George area at 1:55 p.m. The team will slide east and head north along the U.S. 89 corridor and pass over Panguitch just past 2:15 p.m. and is expected to arrive over the Wasatch Back and Summit County near 2:45 p.m. then up to Logan at 2:55 p.m. before heading back over Ogden and landing at Hill around 3 p.m.

The flight path was coordinated with state authorities as well as the Federal Aviation Administration.

“What we’re going to do is basically a straight line route overtop as many hospitals, medical facilities, (Veterans Administration) homes as possible and we’ll be approximately 1,000 to 1,500 feet above ground (traveling 345 mph to 390 mph) in close formation or what’s called fingertip with one jet out in the lead the other three on the wing just passing straight level overhead,” Wolfe explained.

Hill officials advise Utah residents to observe the flyover from the safety of their homes or if out to maintain social distancing by avoiding large gatherings.

Besides recognizing health care professionals, front-line responders and essential personnel, the flyover will serve as a training exercise for the pilots, along with demonstrating the war-fighting preparedness of the Air Force.

“We are an operational wing, and we’re taking every precaution to ensure our personnel safety while maintaining our combat readiness,” said 388th Fighter Wing Commander Col. Steven Behmer. “This flyover is just one way for us to enhance our training while providing a small service to our community.”

In January, the 388th Fighter Wing reached full war-fighting capability upon receipt of the last of 78 F-35A Lightning II aircraft. Hill now houses three full F-35 units, including the 4th, 34th and 421st fighter squadrons. A squadron is still in deployment abroad in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.

For the flyover performance, Wolfe said the aircraft will be flying closer to the ground than in their normal training.

“For reference, in the pattern here at Hill and flying around locally, we’re typically around 2,000 feet above ground so if you can imagine half of that,” she explained. “Then we’re coming in toward Hill airspace, it’s about 3,000 to 4,000 feet so (it’s) definitely lower than people are used to, but it will give them a good shot of the formation and the jets.”

Before the COVID-19 crisis, the demo team was scheduled to perform at 20 events across the country, including Hill’s biannual aerospace showcase, the Warriors over the Wasatch Air and Space Show. Since the outbreak, all demonstration events have been canceled.

So for Wolfe and her colleagues, this is an opportunity to highlight the capability of the F-35 and the skills she and fellow pilots work so hard to hone to protect the nation’s security, as well as show appreciation for those fighting to preserve Utahns’ health here at home.

“From our perspective, we want to thank people for keeping us safe because we understand it being in the military — and we want to thank them for continuing to work as hard as they have to keep the community safe,” she said. “And then just say ‘thank you’ for their support, particularly (on behalf of) the military.”

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