The Hill Aerospace Museum

The Hill Aerospace Museum was first established in 1982, since then it has amazed and inspired many a child and adult alike. When I went to this museum located at Hill Air Force Base in Ogden, Utah, I especially liked several things that I learned about. I learned about the history of Hill Air Force Base, I learned about the way they keep their aviation artifacts alive, and I learned about the many interesting exhibits found at this fascinating and interesting Hill Air Force Base Aerospace Museum.

            In July of 1939 the United States Congress approved the founding of an air force base at a site located on a hill in North Ogden, Utah. Several sites were considered, but this site was favored. The project would take 8 million dollars to complete. Next, during the second world war Hill Air Force base was a big help to the United States Air force with repairs on all kinds of airplanes including the A-26, B-17, B-24, B-29, P-40, P-47, and P-61. Later, the base became the center for F-16 fighting falcons. Nowadays, previously little Hill Air Force Base is the biggest employer in Utah, with a 960 million dollar payroll.

            The repairing of old but sometimes still flyable airplanes located at the Hill Aerospace Museum is very time consuming. The crew of repairmen works hard everyday to preserve these great artifacts of past wars. Recently, the crew is repairing a Boeing B-47E Stratojet, Republic P-47D Thunderbolt, North American OV-10 Bronco, and Consolidated B-24D Liberator. Sometimes the planes can barely be called that when they come in to the repair shop, but after the crew is done, these planes are definitely ready for display.

            The Hill Aerospace Museum has exhibits ranging from 1903 to the present. One of the exhibits that stuck out to me was that of the Wright Flyer. The exhibit shows a model of the first plane ever flown. This plane was first given flight by the Wright brothers in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Another plane that caught my eye was that of the massive Boeing KC-135E “Stratotanker”. This huge plane was dedicated to the Museum in 2009 and sits in front of the museum. As you walk into the Museum, you are awed by the sheer power of this immense machine. The wings seem to stretch for miles, and the nose is as big as a house.  The plane was made to be so huge because it is supposed to carry tanks and other military machines of that kind. And as my trip to the museum sadly came to an end, so must this essay.

            When I went to this museum located at Hill Air Force Base in Ogden, Utah, I especially liked several things that I learned about. I learned about the interesting history of the air force base, I was taught how they preserve their old airplanes, and I learned new and exiting things at each individual exhibit. I would definitely encourage anyone to take advantage of this amazing opportunity to be inspired and taught by the amazing exhibits of these fascinating airplanes.