Flying high: aerospace and aviation industry continues to soar.

• Author: Haraldsen, Tom
• Position: Special Report - Hill Air Force Base - Industry overview

Kelly Hansen will never forget what he said to his oldest grandchild the first time he heard the screeching sound of jet engines from a fleet of F-16s leaving the runway at Utah's Hill Air Force Base (HAFB).

"He said to me, 'Grandpa, what's that noise?' and I replied to him, 'That's the sound of freedom.'"

For Davis County-resident Hansen and literally thousands of others in Utah, the thundering sound from HAFB also represents the sound of income. HAFB, which is one of the state's largest employers, has a heavy impact on Utah's economy. In addition to HAFB, the Beehive State is home to a lively aerospace and aviation industry--an industry that has had a substantial impact on Utah's economy for more than 70 years.

The Industry Takes Off

Besides HAFB, the list of the state's aerospace partners is long and distinguished. It includes Alliant Technologies (ATK) of Clearfield, Boeing of Salt Lake City, Hexcel Corporation of Magna and a host of others. Aviation leader's like Sky West of St. George and FMC Jetway Systems of Ogden employ thousands of Utahns. And then there's the contributions from Utah State University (USU) professors and students.

But the industry really began with the birth of HAFB, as an air depot in the 1930s. Seven permanent stations were created to populate the Rocky Mountain region with the U.S. Air Force.

During World War II, more than 22,000 employees worked at HAFB, with just under 16,000 of them civilians. Since its construction more than 70 years ago, the base has grown to encompass close to 6,700 acres in Davis and Weber counties, with management of an additional 962,000 acres throughout Northern Utah. A total of 23,000 employees, both military and civilian, are employed at Hill Field today.

"The aerospace and aviation industry is hugely important to the state," says Gary Harter, managing director for the aerospace and aviation sector for the Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED). "Hill provides engineering and logistics management for the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the A-10 Thunderbolt and the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile programs, as well as maintenance for many Air Force fleets. "We see Hill Air Force Base and the groups around it as a tremendous economic engine for our state," he says.

Launching Jobs and the Economy

Sound is also a very important part of Sharon Johnson's memories. She has fond recollections of the times she heard the roar of a rocket engine rattling across the West Desert...