Privately-Owned WWII Aircraft Will Sub For Grounded Thunderbirds

The 2013 graduating class from the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO, won't get the traditional flyover from the Thunderbirds, thanks to the team's grounding by sequestration. But that doesn't mean there will be no flyover for the class.

The National Museum of World War II aviation in Colorado Springs and the Texas Flying Legends Museum of Houston, TX, say they plan to honor the 2013 class with a flyover of vintage aircraft, including two B-25J Mitchell bombers, two P-51D Mustang fighters, a P47D Thunderbolt fighter, a FG1D Corsair fighter, a P-40K Warhawk fighter, a FM2 Wildcat fighter and a TBM-3E Avenger bomber.

The Colorado Springs Gazette reports that John Henry, a spokesman for the Colorado Springs museum, said that the two organizations though "it was a fitting, very fitting ... tribute."

The entire group of airplanes will be on display at the National Museum of World War II Aviation May 27-29, with the graduation flyover being held on the 29th.

('Horsemen' P-51 ANN staff image for illustration purposes. Not aircraft scheduled for flyover)

FMI: www.worldwariiaviation.org, www.texasflyinglegends.org