Despite low clouds and overcast skies, the Air Force Thunderbirds were able to perform their signature flyover to signal the end of the Air Force Academy’s commencement ceremony on Thursday. But the air show scheduled to follow the flyover was canceled due to concerns about pilot safety.

This was the second consecutive year the air show has been canceled due to inclement weather. Last year, cloudy skies and low visibility forced a full cancellation, ending the commencement without its signature culminating event.

The Thunderbirds have been a staple of Air Force Academy graduations for more than six decades, and while cancellations are rare, they do happen.

In 1984, when President Ronald Reagan spoke at graduation, security screening prevented many parents and guests from getting into Falcon Stadium before he finished his speech. This caused congestion in the parking lot, and the Federal Aviation Administration canceled the Thunderbirds’ show because the lot was not clear.

In 2013, the team was grounded in response to a series of automatic budget cuts known as sequestration.

That year, the National Museum of World War II Aviation and the Houston-based Texas Flying Legends Museum provided WWII-era planes to fly above the graduating seniors and their families.

And Colorado Springs residents may remember 2016, when a Thunderbird jet crashed in a field just south of the airport following a graduation flyover. The pilot, who ejected safely, reportedly steered the jet away from homes and other structures.

In 2023, the team concluded the air show just before a hailstorm that sent cadets, families and friends scrambling for cover right after the ceremony.