As dark clouds loomed to the north of Peterson Space Force Base, the Thunderbirds took off Wednesday for a training flight to help prepare them for possible thunderstorms during the Air Force Academy’s graduation on Thursday.

“This is a perfect scenario of what we potentially could see tomorrow,” said Lt. Col. Taylor “Flash” Wight, a pilot with the Thunderbirds and director of operations.

The National Weather Service’s meteorologist Michael Garberoglio said there is a “marginal outlook for severe weather” near the academy, with storms starting to set in around noon to 1 p.m. A chance of hail is possible in the afternoon.

Last year, hail pelted graduation attendees at the very end of the ceremony after the Thunderbirds sped over the stadium. Graduation on Thursday is slated to wrap up around 1:15 p.m.

Traveling at 500 mph, “small hail can make big dents,”  posing a serious risk to the aircraft. Lightning can also ground them, Wight said.

The Thunderbirds will make the call on whether to sit out graduation tomorrow based on conditions, he said.

The team decided not to take Olympic swimmer Missy Franklin flying Wednesday because of a maintenance issue, Wight explained. Three of the Thunderbirds’ eight jets were not available to fly Wednesday because they needed work.

But he expected six jets would be available to fly during the Thursday show, he said.

“Our maintainers, they work magic,” he said.

During Franklin’s visit, Wight presented her with a photo from last year’s graduation showing the Thunderbirds flying under a backdrop of heavy dark clouds.

Wight described it as a reminder of passing through challenges through the help of teammates.

“Through those dark clouds you achieve mission success,” he said.

Franklin also met with women on the Air Force Academy swim team on the tarmac at Peterson to sign autographs.

“I just think it’s always so wonderful to be with my swimmers again,” she said. “There are so many things that we have in common that we share through our stories and our experiences, so I love being able to sit down with them and encourage them and be encouraged by them.”

Franklin earned five Olympic medals and is now a motivational speaker who focuses on mental health. She is also an ambassador for the USA Swimming Foundation and a podcaster with a show called Unfiltered Waters that she co-hosts with another Olympic swimmer Katie Hoff. The show focuses on the stories of athletes.