HILL AIR FORCE BASE — Daylight savings ushers many things — like spring and Easter, to name a few — but at Hill Air Force Base it sets off one significant mission: night flying.

Hill’s active duty 388th and reserve 419th fighter wings are set to conduct local F-35 night-flying missions this week, according to a base press release. 

During the nighttime operation, which is tentatively scheduled to conclude each day by 10 p.m., Northern Utah residents will notice increased activity during the evening hours as base fighter pilots sharpen their nighttime combat flying skills. The flying will take place through Saturday, April 18.

Micah Garbarino, spokesman for the 388th FW, said night operations are limited to what is required for airmen to remain proficient. He said the 10 p.m. shutdown schedule could change, based on a number of factors including weather, airspace availability and other elements. The fighter wings are required to regularly fly during the night to maintain combat readiness and all-weather capabilities. Garbarino said the increased flying also enables wing leadership to evaluate aircraft maintenance and operational performance.

“During the winter, we can get out there and fly around 6 p.m.,” Garbarino said. “But now, as the days get longer, (pilots) will have to fly later at night to meet the readiness requirements.”

According to an Air Force fact sheet, Hill operates one of the busiest airfields in the military, with approximately 45,000 flight operations taking place there annually. Aircraft from all over the United States and internationally frequently fly into Hill’s Ogden Air Logistics Complex, which performs maintenance on dozens of aircraft. Hill’s Utah Test and Training Range in Utah’s west desert also draws aircraft from all over the world.

But the fighter wings perform the bulk of flight operations on base, training to remain combat ready with the F-35. The 34th Fighter Squadron, one of the wing’s three squadrons, is currently deployed to the Middle East. The other two are continuing to fly locally, ensuring they are ready to deploy when needed, Garbarino said.

Arrivals and departure are coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration, Salt Lake International Airport and Ogden-Hinckley Airport. The base fact sheet says pilots limit flying over densely populated areas, schools, churches and other public buildings. F-35s climb to assigned altitudes as quickly as possible to mitigate noise.