Plane Talk Lecture Series

The Hill Aerospace Museum hosts a plane talk series featuring speakers related to heritage of Hill Air Force Base, the United States Air Force, other military branches, and many other subjects related aerospace and the defense industry. Plane Talk began at the Hill Aerospace Museum more than twenty years ago. The speaker series has usually taken place at the Hill Aerospace Museum each Saturday during the fall and winter months. The series has featured hundreds of notable speakers including Senator Garn, former Viet Nam prisoner of war, Col. Jay Hess, Rear Admiral Jerry Taylor, Col. Robert H. Hinckley, former USAF SAC Commander, Gen. Russell Dougherty, former Hill AFB Commander, Gen.Marc Reynolds and many more.

 Plane Talk begins at 1:00 pm in the Hill Aerospace Museum theater.

PLANE TALK SCHEDULE JANUARY 2020: 

January 4, 2020:         Wes Zimmerman               USAF F-4 Pilot

January 11, 2020:       O.C. Hope                          Retired USAF Command Pilot

January 18, 2020:       No Plane Talk                    Hill Air Force Base 80th Anniversary Celebration

January 25, 2020:       Laurie Hope                       Retired USAF CMSgt

Additional Information on Speakers:

January 4, 2020; Wes Zimmerman

Wes Zimmerman is a retired F-4 pilot who flew for the USAF for 22 years. Wes joined the USAF after college in 1969 and flew with the 49 th Tactical Fighter Wing in Vietnam. In 1972, during a fighter escort mission for Operation Linebacker, Lt. Zimmerman’s F-4 was severely
damaged by a missile fired from an enemy MiG aircraft. Lt. Zimmerman safely landed his F-4 and was later awarded the Koren Kolligian Award for the most outstanding flight safety event of 1972. Zimmerman went on to fly with the Air National Guard, and flew for 26 years in the airline industry.

January 11 2020 – O. C. Hope

Col. O.C. Hope was a USAF Command Pilot for 27 years and flew the F-4 for 9 years. Col. Hope served as Vice Wing Commander of the 419th Fighter Wing from 1994 – 1997, and created the 419 th Operation Support Squadron. He was also an active-duty Fighter Weapons Instructor Pilot. Col. Hope flew as a commercial airline pilot for 27 years and was a captain for Continental Airlines for 22 years. Col. Hope currently serves as an Advisor for the Aerospace Heritage Foundation of Utah, as well as the Daedalian’s administrator for the Utah Aviation Hall of Fame. Col. Hope will discuss the history of the F-4, as well as his experiences flying the Phantom.

January 18, 2020 – No Plane Talk – Hill AFB 80th Anniversary Celebration

January 25, 2020 – Laurie Hope

CMSgt Hope is a veteran of 30 years in the United States Air Force. She was the first CMSgt selected in the United States Air Force Reserves and Hill Air Force Base. SHe served from the Vietnam War through Desert Storm. Hope was an Air Traffic Controller for the USAF and the FAA. CMSgt Hope has a private pilot license and served as president of the Utah Chapter of the Ninety-Nines International Organization of Women Pilots.

Free Admission