Return to the Wild Blue Wonder
- Christina DeSantis
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 23 hours ago
USAFA Class of 1959 grad joins Thunderbirds for a thrilling flight
Major Paul S. Lasen, USAFA Class of 1959, carried the spirit of the Academy’s first graduates throughout his life. In 2017, at age 83, he was invited by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds to take to the skies once more — a tribute to his distinguished career as a fighter pilot, instructor, and combat aviator. What unfolded that day was more than a commemorative flight. It was a homecoming.
This article revisits that moment through the original 2017 Checkpoints story, now accompanied by additional photos and a brief audio reflection from Paul himself. His words capture the joy, memory, and deep sense of belonging he felt in the air — a feeling that shaped his life and legacy.
This story is republished from the Checkpoints Online June 2017 edition.Paul in His Own Words
“When I got back in the back in the air, I immediately felt like I was home again.” — Major Paul S. Lasen, USAFA ’59
This brief recording comes from Paul’s 2017 Thunderbirds interview, capturing the joy and belonging he felt in the sky.
Return to the Wild Blue Wonder
USAFA Class of 1959 grad joins Thunderbirds for a thrilling flight
After a several-decade break, Paul S. Lasen (USAFA Class of 1959) returned to the cockpit of an Air Force fighter jet Monday, May 22.
The Path to the Pilot's Seat
Lasen, who holds the distinction of being the oldest living graduate (OLG) of the United States Air Force Academy at 83, was already a second lieutenant in the Air Force and had his navigator wings when his chance to join the Academy’s first class arrived. When he was accepted into the Air Force Academy in 1955, he had to surrender his Air Force commission in order to attend, which he gladly did so that he had the best possible chance to become a fighter pilot.
“If I stayed in as a navigator, it would have taken at least four years before I could progress to pilot training,” he says. “The Academy would give me four years and a degree. The bigger plus for me was the fact that it was mandatory that you go to pilot training
if you were physically qualified at time of graduation. I always wanted to be a pilot and this was my way of getting to that position. It’s worked out beautifully.”
As a result of his previous service, Lasen was a few years older than most of fellow cadets. That’s how he attained the honor of being the oldest living graduate.
“It’s not a position that’s earned. It’s simply an accident of birth,” he smiled. “I’d love to be the oldest grad for quite a few more years.”
A Distinguished Career
Lasen was commissioned in the Air Force again four years after arriving at the Academy, then went to pilot training. He would become an instructor pilot for several years, before being deployed to Vietnam where he flew 128 combat missions in the F-105.
“From there on, it became a wonderful career,” Lasen recalls. “I spent 20 years with the Air Force.”
He retired in 1978 and went into civilian aviation.
The Campaign for the Thunderbird Flight
The campaign to secure Lasen a ride with the Thunderbirds began in early May, when E. Adrian Van Zelfden, USAFA Class of 1969, sent out a plea to anyone with connections with the Air Force air demonstration team.
His email was forwarded up the chain of command, first to Gen. Ronald Fogelman — Class of 1963 — the chief of staff of the Air Force from 1994-97. Then the plea made it to current Chief of Staff of the Air Force David Goldfein — Class of 1983.
Because the Air Force is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, Van Zelfden felt it would be wonderful if the Thunderbirds would honor the oldest living graduate of the Academy.
“I personally feel a huge amount of gratitude to the Class of 1959,” Van Zelfden wrote. “Those guys were the pioneers, and they made us all proud.”
Back in the Air
By Monday morning, Lasen was more than ready to put on a flight suit again and head skyward. He was scheduled to fly with Capt. Eric Gonsalves, a USAFA Class of 2008 graduate.
“If I told you I wasn’t excited, you wouldn’t believe me,” he laughed. “You can’t fail to be excited for something like this. We’ll have a really great time.”
“It will be interesting to me to see how many Gs I can tolerate now,” he adds. “It used to be just a part of my daily job. I’ll be very interested to see how I hold up.”
Return to the Wild Blue Wonder: Images from Major Paul Lasen's 2017 Thunderbird flight, shared with gratitude by the Lasen family.
A Note on Paul's Later Year
Paul continued to fly well into his later years, taking another memorable flight in 2024 — a testament to the joy he always found in the sky. Paul was the OLG still flying a personal aircraft and celebrated his final flight in his beloved Bonanza N1553A on August 23, 2025, at 91. Strong, vibrant, and a passionate lifelong golfer, he enjoyed 9 holes of golf with his son just one day before passing suddenly and unexpectedly of natural cause.
And now, he is home — in the presence of the Lord he loved, in the wild blue wonder he cherished all his life.
The Thunderbird Tradition
Lt. Col. Kevin Walsh, a 2002 graduate, says the Thunderbirds are thrilled to be back for graduation. This is his second straight year of flying at graduation with the Thunderbirds.
“It brings back a lot of memories – a lot of good memories and some more challenging than others,” he says. “Obviously, the Academy laid the foundation for my whole career, which up until this point I’ve been very happy with. I’m one of the luckiest guys
in the Air Force.”
Walsh says the USAFA graduation is one of the most challenging sites that the Thunderbirds perform at each year. The terrain and the stadium add to the challenge.
“We train every day, sometimes twice a day, to perform a safe
show,” he assures.
Editorial Note: The original Checkpoints article included a brief comment from Lt. Col. Kevin Walsh, USAFA Class of 2002, who served as the Commander/Leader of the Thunderbirds in 2017. His remarks provided context about the team’s participation in graduation events and were not directly related to Major Lasen’s flight.
Major Paul S. Lasen (USAFA ’59)
Major Paul S. Lasen, USAFA Class of 1959, embodied the pioneering spirit of the Academy’s first graduates. Already a commissioned officer and navigator when selected for the inaugural class, he surrendered his commission in 1955 to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a fighter pilot. After graduating with the Academy’s first class, he went on to a distinguished Air Force career as an instructor pilot and combat aviator, flying 128 missions in the F‑105 during the Vietnam War. He retired in 1978 after twenty years of service and continued his aviation career in the civilian sector. In 2017, at age 83, he returned to the cockpit for a celebratory flight with the Thunderbirds — a moment that symbolized both his enduring love of flight and the legacy of the Class of 1959.