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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Fayne B. Lutz

Born in Denver, Colorado in 1930, Ray moved with his family to San Diego, California, in 1944. While attending High School, Ray worked for flying time at a local airport and soloed on his 16th birthday in October of 1946. While attending high school and College, he continued his flying program by attaining his private pilot's license at age 17 and his commercial pilot's license at age 18 while working at local San Diego airports.

The Korean War found Ray enlisting in the USAF to attend pilot training. He graduated as a 2ndLt with USAF Jet Pilot ratings in USAF pilot training class 52-G. In 1953, Ray was assigned to fly Republic F-84G fighters with the 8th Squadron of ther4th Fighter Wing at Kunsan AB, Korea. After the war he served a year as a fighter pilot with the 8th Squadron of the 49th Wing when it was reassigned to Misawa Air Base, Japan.

In 1954 Ray was assigned to fly as a fighter gunnery instructor at Laughlin AFB, TX. He was honorably discharged from active duty with the Air Force in October of 1955.

Ray Lutz then went on to fly for Trans World Airlines. He qualified to fly as a pilot/Captain and flew for 30 years on the airline's domestic and world-wide routes. He retired as an international qualified TWA Captain on L-1011 aircraft in 1985.

Ray owned and flew his own privately held Cessna P-210 and Beech Baron 58 aircraft from 1968 to 1996. He accumulated some 24,000 hours of flight time during the 50 years of his active flying career.

Captain Lutz was asked to join the National Aeronautics Association (NAA) Contest and Records Board in 1991 and served with that organization for some 13 years. He observed for the NAA numerous World Class Aviation Records set by the USAF, Boeing, Douglas and Lockheed Aircraft Companies, as well as many other aviation related records.

He lives in good health in retirement in Taos, New Mexico as of December, 2003. Ray has visited and supported the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museums as well as being a patron to the Air and Space Museum at San Diego, California. He has lived and supported various aviation related projects all of his adult life. Ray Lutz is proud to have his name added to the Udvar-Hazy Exploration Wall of Honor on this 100th anniversary celebration of flight.