Davis leaders tour state's largest employer
Text 
No Comments [ Add Comment ]By Bryon Saxton
Standard-Examiner Davis Bureau
bsaxton@standard.net
<
strong>Hill base flight tower among sites explored
LAYTON -- Even with a stiff north wind, Davis County elected leaders Wednesday enjoyed 80 miles of visibility from the flight tower in overlooking the state's largest single employer -- Hill Air Force Base.
The base, with 24,000 employees, roughly contributes $3 billion to the Top of Utah economy on an annual basis, according to base officials.
"That is nice," Farmington Mayor Scott Harbertson said of the view from the 120-foot tower. "We see all that undeveloped land and start salivating."
The air traffic control tower, just off the 21/2 mile long flight line and 144 steps up, on an average oversees 380 flight operations into and out of the base daily.
"Fighters play together. They go out in packages," said Jason Fass, a base air traffic watch supervisor.
Where planes in groups -- as many as 20 -- go out all at once and come back all at once, Senior Master Sgt. George Young said the atmosphere in the tower can dramatically swing.
The climb to the top of the tower, by elevator and a final flight of stairs, was part of a three-hour tour base officials provided members of the Davis Council of Governments. Leaders who dared also took a careful stroll around the tower catwalk.
"You have given us shows that we haven't even had to pay for," County Commissioner Louenda Downs told air traffic controllers of the flights that routinely pass over her Layton home.
Other sites visited by the group included the weather monitoring station, the soon-to-be-renamed family recreation center and the aircraft maintenance hangar where C-130 planes are overhauled and F-16 planes modified.
"This is very clean," Downs said of the hangar. "Nobody's garage is this clean."
The tour also included a luncheon with base officials, a dinner, a COG meeting hosted at the Log Cabin on base and a 15-minute video presentation.
"It's just a huge national treasure," 75th Air Base Wing Commander Col. Scott Chambers said of the base. Hill is unique where it offers a fighter wing, a depot and a testing range, he said.
And community members, many of whom fill one of the 18,000 civilian jobs on base, reciprocate.
"This base is hugged and loved by the community," Chambers said. "And it isn't just the money," he said referring to what it brings to the local economy.
Fruit Heights Mayor Todd Stevenson said before Wednesday the only time he had been up on base was to attend a Christmas party at Club Hill.
"I didn't realize they do so much up here," said Stevenson, who took off work from a software company to take Wednesday's field trip.
"My only regret is that they are not going to let us ride in the F-16," he quipped.
Add Your Comment
