Not even a government shutdown can ground the Army Air Corps ahead of the Air Force versus Army football game on Saturday.

No, that’s not a typo.

Even though the planned flyover by the Air Force and Army, involving modern aircraft and the Air Force Academy’s Wings of Blue parachute team, was canceled because of the ongoing government shutdown, cadets and viewers will still experience American air power.  

Rather than modern aircraft equipped with jet engines and helicopters, the halftime flyover will consist of four World War II-vintage airplanes. A spokesperson for the academy said the U.S. Air Force Academy Association and Foundation worked with Million Air, founded by Roger Woolsey, and other warbird owners to coordinate a heritage flyover.

Originally set to feature F-16s, the planned halftime flyover will feature a pair of A-26 Invaders, a P-51 Mustang and a Sea Fury. There also will be a second flyover of trainer aircraft, supported by Mile High Air Boss, which will include an L-17, two T-6s and a BE-18, according to the academy.

“These legendary warbirds remain a testament to American Airpower, our Nation’s legacy of victory, and the enduring partnership between the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army.,” a spokesperson with the academy said via email. “These training aircraft are a reminder of the preparation required for our Nation’s warrior leaders to be ready to lead on Day One.”

The Air Force football game is not the only event that has been affected by the ongoing government shutdown, which began Oct. 1. In Pensacola, Fla., the U.S. Navy Blue Angels canceled a show for their headquarters homecoming, and the Thunderbirds have canceled the remainder of their season, according to local media outlets.

Founder and CEO of Million Air Roger Woolsey, despite not being a veteran himself, has worked closely with veterans organizations and the military, flying at air shows in his restored A-26. Nicknamed Million Airess, the plane is a World War II combat veteran and similar types have served in the Korean War, Vietnam and beyond. Million Airess also served as a firefighting airplane, Woolsey said.

“Because of the shutdown, funding is not available for either side to do (the flyovers),” said Woolsey. “I got a call from a retired chief of the Air Force and asked if we would consider (doing the flyover), and we said ‘absolutely.’”   

Woolsey and his team at Million Air have owned their A-26 Invader, originally built in 1944, since 2024. When they got the airplane, it had not flown in 11 years, he said. Within three weeks, a dedicated team of mechanics got the plane ready to fly and the Million Air team participated in the 80th anniversary of D-Day events in Europe.  

Quick turnaround is something Woolsey’s team is good at though, he said. Plans for the flyover came together in about a week, he added.

A “handful of retired generals” got their heads together and reached out to Million Air about the flyover, Woolsey said.

Though Woolsey is not being a veteran himself, he believes in the importance of using his airplane to inspire.  

“There’s not a pilot, a mechanic, an aeronautical engineer or an astronaut that did not first fall involved love with aviation at an airshow … or a flyover,” Woolsey said. “Getting heritage or current aviation assets in the air is more than just ‘oh that’s our team mascot …’ You’re really inspiring the next generation that’s going to carry this nation into the future.”    

And for Woolsey, there is an added tidbit that makes this flight all the more special. During World War II, the Air Force had not been established as a separate branch. It was under the umbrella of the U.S. Army as the U.S. Army Air Corps, later called the Army Air Force.

It was not until 1947 that the Air Force was established as a fully independent branch of the military.   

“The aircraft in which we are going to fly the overflight with were actually both teams joined together as one,” he said. “They fight for the same reason, they sacrifice for the same reason.”