Hill Air Show, largest event in Utah, to fly again in June

LAYTON — The largest single event in Utah — the Hill Air Show — won't be grounded by recent military cutbacks.

The every-other-year show will fly, as usual, June 7-8, 2008, at Hill Air Force Base, though there will be some changes.

Rick J. Mayer, president and chief executive officer of Hill Partners, a nonprofit group not directly affiliated with the Air Force, has taken over responsibility for the show. Mayer spoke to the Layton City Council last month to encourage support and donations for the event.

He said the military has funded the entire show in the past, but that won't happen anymore.

"The air show will happen," he said, and it will continue to offer free admission to the public. What will change is that Hill Partners will encourage more support from local cities, and the event will use more volunteers and be open to private vendors.

"We would like all the local restaurants to be involved," Mayer said.

He said the show attracted at least 338,000 people in 2006, and that was without any real advertising. "We think we can eclipse 400,000 people," he said of the 2008 show.

Mayer said the Hill Air Show is the largest two-day show of its kind in the nation. It also has been ranked as the fifth best in the world. He believes the event can draw spectators from as far away as Boise, since Mountain Home Air Force Base doesn't have an air show anymore.

Mayer said he also feels it can be a better family affair, with better and less-expensive food, because of privatization. He's even invited radio host Sean Hannity, though he hasn't received an answer back yet.

"Come to the base," he said. "We've got plenty of parking."

In the past, some of the public has believed an admission is charged at the gate. He said that misconception has meant some roadways just outside the base have been needlessly jammed with spectators.

It will be tough to surpass last year's show, which featured non-stop flying action from 9:30 a.m. until late afternoon, Mayer said. But the Air Force's Thunderbirds are committed to perform, and he is working on securing private fliers, too.

The revised Hill show will be patterned after the Nellis Air Force Base show, though Hill's is four times larger.

Mayer believes the show can be a big economic windfall for hotels, restaurants and other businesses in northern Utah. "We can fill every motel room," he said.

Although the show is every other year, Mayer hopes his group can have other events during the off-years.

The Layton City Council is considering a donation of up to $25,000 for the event. That could include some in-kind manpower from the city's police department. A resolution is being drafted on the matter, and a decision will be made at a future public hearing.

"We need to step forward and offer a donation," Mayor Steve Curtis said.

Other cities in northern Utah — and even the state Legislature — also are likely to be contacted about support for the show as Hill Partners is seeking $2 million.

The Hill Air Show has its own Web site, www.hillairshow.com.

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E-mail: lynn@desnews.com