Campus Connection

UW-L Chancellor Joe Gow went up in the air with the Blue Angels on Wednesday, May 28. The trip helped promote the Deke Slayton Airfest Saturday and Sunday, May 31-June 1, at the La Crosse Regional Airport. Check out the WKBT News Channel 8 video of the flight. Gow saw an amazing view of the Coulee Region and the UW-La Crosse campus from above. “Fortunately The Blue Angels are very skilled at briefing riders for the experience,” says Gow. “In particular, we were given training in how to respond with our muscles and breathing to the extreme g-forces.” Gow was told a roller coaster is about a 3 g-force. During some of the maneuvers, Gow experienced up to a 6.2 g-force. Gow describes it as “far beyond anything I’ve ever experienced at the amusement park." The challenge, he said, is to make sure to keep enough blood in the head to avoid blacking out. Overall, Gow says he felt like he was in good hands and never frightened. “It was a singular privilege and honor to be able to do this," says Gow. "It truly is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will talk about for the rest of my life." Lt. Brandon Luiszer, from the Navy recruiting station in Minneapolis, nominated Gow for the ride.