Jam-packed Air Force Week to culminate with air show

HILL AIR FORCE BASE — Soaring Thunderbirds on Saturday and Sunday will mark the culmination of a weeklong celebration of the U.S. Air Force.

The Air Force's performance team of F-16 Fighting Falcons will take to the sky during an open house and air show at Hill Air Force Base. The event is expected to draw 400,000 to 600,000 people to the base over the two days of the show, which will also feature stunt pilots, military demonstration teams and retired military planes.

Various other aircraft, including the C-5 Galaxy, the largest plane owned by the Air Force, will be on display.

The open house and air show runs from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Access to the base will be available via the base's South Gate in Layton, West Gate in Clearfield, and Roy Gate at 5600 South. No weapons are allowed on base, not even concealed-carry weapons.

Admission to the air show is free, but the Utah Transit Authority is offering shuttle service to the base from the Clearfield FrontRunner station, 1250 S. State. Cost for the shuttle service is $2 per person per round trip.

But the air show is just the finale.

Only three bases in the United States were selected to host Air Force Week to tell the Air Force's story and the story of its airmen's work and sacrifices.

On Monday, Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. is expected to kick off the week by issuing a proclamation at 9 a.m. on the steps of the state Capitol.

From 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, an Air Force art exhibit will be hosted at the Salt Lake City Library, 210 E. 400 South. And a showcase called "Our Nation's Defenders" we be on display at from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Wednesday in Pioneer Park at 300 South and 300 West. The showcase will feature military displays, the Air Force drill team, a falconer and military working dog demonstrations.

Air Force Night will be held Monday at the Salt Lake Bees baseball game, and the Air Force parachute team will jump into Spring Mobile Ballpark, 1365 S. West Temple. Combat controllers will fast-rope from a helicopter with a game ball.

An IMAX movie, "Fighter Pilot," will be shown at 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday at the Clark Planetarium, 110 S. 400 West. Admission is free.

Tops in Blue, the Air Force's premier show group, will give a free performance at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple.

On Thursday, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir will perform a salute to Air Force Week at 8:30 p.m. at Temple Square.

A full schedule of events for the week is available at www.airforceweek.af.mil/saltlakecity.

E-MAIL: jdougherty@desnews.com

TWITTER: desnewsdavis