Thunderbirds practice, perform for graduation Published May 20, 2010 By 000108 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, will turn heads skyward during several flights over the Colorado Springs area May 24-26. The Thunderbirds are scheduled to arrive at Peterson Air Force Base on Sunday. Before landing, the team will conduct aerial surveys of the Air Force Academy. Monday morning at 8 a.m., the team will practice flyovers of the Air Force Academy Stadium as a rehearsal for the graduation day hat toss, weather permitting. From 2-3 p.m., the team will practice their aerial performance over the Academy. If weather prohibits a Monday afternoon practice, the Thunderbirds will push their practice to the same time on Tuesday. Directly following the Air Force Academy graduation Wednesday, the team will perform the hat toss flyover and their aerial performance, starting at approximately 12:55 p.m. For the safety of the general public certain roads will be closed around Falcon Stadium during their performance practices and the performance. These closures are mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure the performance area is free of all personnel. The general public is reminded not to stop along Interstate 25 to watch the performances. The public may view the performances from open areas on the Air Force Academy by presenting a valid drivers license to enter the base. The Thunderbirds perform precision aerial maneuvers demonstrating the capabilities of Air Force high performance aircraft to people throughout the world. The squadron exhibits the professional qualities the Air Force develops in the people who fly, maintain and support these aircraft. For more information about the Thunderbirds visit: http://thunderbirds.airforce.com/ .