Curt grew up in Rockford, IL and has been infatuated with aviation his entire life. A second-generation pilot, he grew up spending as much time as possible with his dad flying gliders and attending aviation events wondering “how do I get to do THAT” – every time an awe-inspiring warbird would taxi by at a fly-in breakfast or airshow. Glider rides with dad were mixed in with serious interests in home flight simulators, radio control aviation, and aviation photography that are maintained still today.

Spending so much time growing up around aviation with very supportive parents (Curt and Vicki) led to a first solo on his 14^th birthday in a Schweizer 2-33 (glider) in Hinckley, IL. Airplane training and ratings followed in Poplar Grove, IL and by the time Curt was 20 years old he was a tailwheel endorsed CFI/CFII. While working towards Aviation Management and Geography degrees at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale his part-time job for the school was working as a Flight Instructor with the school.

After working as a full-time CFI, Curt spent two years flying Part-135 cargo in the Beech 99 and Metroliner around the US and Caribbean before moving on to a Part-135 passenger charter operation flying the Citation Excel for over 2000 hours. He is currently a First Officer flying the B757/B767 for a major US airline that gives him the flexibility and resources to maintain a very active career in the warbird industry.

In 2012 while working as a CFI at Southern Illinois University, Curt got a phone call from one of the professors in the maintenance side of the school. “How would you like to fly a B-24?” David Oliver, 20 Under 40 Class of 2019 and SIU alumni, was setting up an internship program to get younger mechanics into warbirds by giving them the opportunity to spend a summer touring with the CAF B29/B24 Squadron – and wanted to give a younger pilot a pathway to get involved. The rest is history! That kind of opportunity does not happen very often and Curt has done everything he can to get and stay involved since.

Curt began flying with the Commemorative Air Force as a B-24 Co-Pilot in 2013 and has since flown over 1200 hours in CAF warbirds alone while also being involved with several other museums, businesses, and private owners in the industry. Holding PIC qualifications in the B29, B24, DC3, BE18, T6, PT17, and T34 give him ample opportunity to travel the country helping to further the mission of the CAF to Educate, Honor, and Inspire every chance he gets. Career highlights for Curt include flying B-29 FiFi to the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, OH as well as participating in the entire 2024 D-Day80 tour, flying CAF C-47 “That’s All Brother” from Texas to Germany and flying the return trip with Tim and Job Savage in their Western Airlines DC-3.

Getting to operate some of the world’s most historic aircraft has been a dream come true for Curt. He is dedicated to doing it as much as possible for as long as possible to preserve the stories of our Greatest Generation and enjoys helping others to get involved like so many that have helped him. “We are just the roadies; the airplanes are the rock stars” – and Curt loves getting to be backstage.