Eyes to the skies: Don’t miss the Fourth of July jet flyover above Park City

Fighter jets will streak across Utah skies in celebration of America250. Photo: U.S. Air Force photo by Cynthia Griggs

PARK CITY, Utah — Continuing a long-standing tradition, fighter jets from Hill Airforce Base will take to Utah skies to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Park City is the last stop on the itinerary, and residents can expect to see the jets overhead around 11:28 a.m., aligning with the Park City Independence Day Parade, though timing can vary. To ensure you catch the display, be on the lookout about 10 to 15 minutes before schedule.

The aircrafts are expected to fly over a record number of communities across Utah between approximately 8 a.m. (MDT) and 11:45 a.m. (MDT) on July 4.

“This flyover is a proud tradition for our wing and a fantastic opportunity to connect with communities across Utah during a historic national milestone,” said Col. Bradley Klemesrud, 419th Fighter Wing Commander.

Designing this year’s flight path was complicated due to the “unprecedented” number of cities that requested to participate, according to the base.

Typically, the flyover soars above Park City around 10:45 a.m., right before the Main Street parade. This year’s schedule has been pushed back about 45 minutes. “To ensure every approved community is included, planners developed a continuous, route-based flight plan that prioritizes reaching all requested locations safely and efficiently, rather than attempting to meet precise, individual time-on-target requests,” the base explained.

This year, the Utah Air National Guard’s 151st Wing will join the formation for a portion of the historic route.

The flyover will feature Hill AFB’s F-35A Lightning IIs flying over approved cities with a KC-135R Stratotanker from the 151st Wing integrating into the flight path.