Page 81 - July Sun Rays_Text_01-51_proof_FinalTrim

PHOTO COURTESY OF PAUL LASEN
As the oldest USAFA graduate still flying, Paul was invited to fly with the USAF Thunderbirds during the Air Force’s 70th
anniversary celebration.
week festivities and recognizing the Air
Force’s 70th anniversary, Lasen , at age
83, the oldest living graduate of the United
States Air Force Academy’s first class, was
invited to attend and fly with the USAF
Thunderbirds. He was recognized as a
Distinguished Guest during the week-
long festivities. With his usual humility,
Lasen remarked, “It’s not a position that’s
earned. It’s simply an accident of birth. I’d at the graduation ceremony on Wednesday
love to be the oldest grad for quite a few
more years.”
After piloting his former Beechcraft
from Temple, Texas, Lasen and his son
Michael arrived in Colorado Springs on
Saturday, May 20, 2017. He was met by
his sister Tonya Scotsdale and her son
Greg Scotsdale. Over the weekend, they
toured the campus, visited the chapel and
paid respects to Barbara.
On Monday, after being fitted for a
flight suit, a G-suit to protect his body
from the gravitational force, helmet and
oxygen mask, Lasen was briefed on the
current ejection system and their flight
plan. Preparing for the flight with
Thunderbird Captain Erik Gonsalves,
Lasen laughed “If I told you I wasn’t
excited, you wouldn’t believe me. You
can’t fail to be excited for something like
this. We’ll have a really great time. It will mused, “When I was in that plane I felt
ONLINE: SCTEXAS.ORG
be interesting to me to see how many Gs I
can tolerate now. It used to be just a part belong. The Air Force has a shortage of
of my daily job. I’ll be very interested to pilots. I think with another flight or two
see how I hold up.” After a break of 40+
years, Lasen returned to the cockpit of
a fighter jet as an honorary member of
the Thunderbirds.
The seven aircraft which would perform
left Peterson Air Force Base to perfect
the timing for their appearance. The
Thunderbirds fly over the stadium where
graduation is held at precisely 12:30 p.m.
– at the exact moment the graduates toss
their hats into the air. A few minutes
later, Gonsalves and Lasen took off,
joining the wing as they practiced flying
over the stadium. Gonsalves and Lasen
broke from the wing, flying east at 400-
500 knots (460-575 mph) to military
airspace where Gonsalves put the jet
through various maneuvers. With Lasen
comfortable in its controls, Gonsalves
turned the jet over to Lasen who put the
jet through a series of steep turns, rolls
and loops, at times pulling in excess of
4Gs. Any reservation Lasen had about
his conditioning evaporated.
With a huge smile and a wistful look in
his eye Lasen reflected on his flight and
right at home. I thought, this is where I
I could go back in and do a good job for
another 5-10 years, I really do. That would
just be great.”
Every five years the Class of ’59 reunites
at the USAFA graduation. One hundred
and twenty-seven members remain. Their
next reunion will break with tradition
– they will meet in 2018, rather than
2019, the 59th anniversary of their 1959
graduation, and the meeting place will
be at the MAPS Air Museum in Canton,
Ohio. Tolerating the elevation in Denver
has become increasingly difficult for many
of the men.
Lasen recalls each USAFA classmate with
clarity - generals, doctors, entrepreneurs,
CEOs, a football All-American (Brock
Strom), a NASA shuttle astronaut (Karol
Bobko) and commanders. “I know who
they are as men. After 50 years, I could
knock on any door, and I know they would
help me as I would help them. I know I
can always count on them.” Just as the
Class of 1959 has always been there for
one another, they have been there for their
country. Our sincere gratitude goes out
to all veterans and their families.
JULY 2017 SUNRAYS | 79