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HILL AIR FORCE BASE — The sight and sound of the F-16 fighter jet has become familiar to anyone who's lived near Hill Air Force Base at any time during the past 38 years.

This month, the last Fighting Falcon — also known as the Viper — will take off down the runway as it transitions to a new mission within the U.S. Air Force fighting fleet.

On Friday, the 388th (active duty) and 419th (reserve) Fighter Wings bid farewell to the respected combat jet during a ceremony at the northern Utah military facility.

Since its arrival in Utah in 1979, the F-16 Fighting Falcon has been synonymous with the base, but the venerable warfare aircraft is being replaced by the high-tech F-35A Lightning II.

The ceremony was a way to recognize the accomplishments of the airmen and aircraft that have been such a visible representation of the base's vital national defense mission, explained Col. Dave Smith, commander of the 419th Fighter Wing at Hill.

"We've had 38 years of history with the (F-16) and four squadrons," Smith said. "It's a proud heritage in Utah. For many years, we were the largest F-16 combined (reserve and active-duty) wings in the country. (Now) we're going to be the largest F-35 operational wings in the country."

The F-16s are being reassigned to other Air Force bases that already host the aircraft, primarily Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, he said. While operational F-16s are making the transition to other facilities, the Ogden Air Logistics Complex will continue to perform modifications and maintenance on the Air Force’s F-16 fleet as needed, Smith added.

The community around the base has embraced the F-16 for many years, explained Col. Lee Kloos, commander of the 388th Fighter Wing. That heritage will be remembered for years to come, he added.

Hill Air Force Base bids farewell to the F-16 at Viper Out ceremony on base. The 388th and 419th fighter wings at Hill AFB bid farewell to the F-16 Fighting Falcon during a ceremony on Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. (Photo: Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)

"It's a proud legacy of successful combat operations, basically every operation they've been in," Kloos said. "It's a legacy the whole (northern Utah) community who helped support it can be proud of. They had a part in it."

During his comments to the audience of a few hundred people gathered in an airplane hangar at the base, Kloos noted that the F-16 was his second love in life after his wife. His experience flying the aircraft helped shape the kind of war flyer he would become, Kloos said.

"It's what I learned to be a young fighter pilot in," he said. "It's where I cut my teeth and where I learned to be tactical."

Hill Air Force Base is home to the U.S. Air Force’s first operational F-35A unit. The aircraft at Hill are flown and maintained a team of active-duty and reserve airmen from the 388th and 419th fighter wings.

The color guard presents the flag as Hill Air Force Base bids farewell to the F-16 at Viper Out ceremony on base. The 388th and 419th fighter wings at Hill AFB bid farewell to the F-16 Fighting Falcon during a ceremony on Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. (Photo: Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)

The installation will eventually be home to three squadrons of F-35 fighter jets — more than 70 aircraft — similar to the situation with its departing predecessor, the F-16.

Capt. Tyler McBride with the 388th Fighter Wing trained in the F-16 for four years prior to moving into the new F-35. He said transitioning from one aircraft to another is a huge improvement in combat capability.

"It's kind of like the flip (mobile) phones that we originally had," McBride explained. "That was hot when it came out, but now we have smartphones. Just a giant leap in technology and a (warfare capacity) multiplier."

When the last F-16 takes off from Hill to its next location, there will be a sense of nostalgia about the hours spent in the cockpit of the first fighter jet he ever flew, McBride said.

"It's what I learned to be a young fighter pilot in. It's where I cut my teeth and where I learned to be tactical."

"It's bittersweet, but at the same time, you've got to keep moving forward because everyone else in the world is doing that," he said. "This is no exception."

While McBride said he'll miss having the F-16 on base every day, the time for the F-35 has come.

"All good things must come to an end, (and) it's a great airplane," he said. "(The F-16 is) still very combat capable, but this (F-35) is just going to be the next generation, and I look forward to the opportunity to see what this jet can do."

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