Beyond the Flight Line: Remembering Lt. Mike Curtain

The world looks at naval aviation through the lens of air shows and Hollywood blockbusters. We see the precision, the scream of the jet engines, and the gleaming aircraft. But for those of us who worked the line at NAS Miramar, the reality was often much heavier. We didn’t just see the glory; we saw the sacrifice.

A Debt of Respect

I served as a Petty Officer at Miramar in the 1980s. It was a world of high stakes and “everlasting memories,” both good and tragic. One memory that has never left me is the loss of Lt. Mike Curtain.

He was a Naval Aviator who gave everything to his craft and his country. He lost his life just one day before the air show was set to begin—a sobering reminder that the “Top Gun” lifestyle wasn’t a movie set; it was a dangerous, daily profession. Lt. Curtain deserves the utmost respect of our country, not just for his skill in the cockpit, but for the bravery it took to strap into that seat every single day.

Reality vs. The Silver Screen

Living that life gives you a different perspective on the stories the world tells. Many people remember the famous movie scenes where pilots ditch their aircraft, but in the real Navy, I saw a different kind of heroism.

I remember an F-14 that returned to the deck missing its canopy and its RIO (Radar Intercept Officer). While a movie might show a pilot punching out, this pilot stayed with the bird and saved the aircraft. The RIO had ejected, but because the “king switch” hadn’t been flipped for a dual ejection, the pilot was left to bring that jet home alone through the wind and noise.

The Bonds of the Service

The military is a world that isn’t always what it seems from the outside. It’s a collection of souls and shipmates who become part of your DNA. Whether it was the long hours on the line or the incidents that stayed with us long after we took off the uniform, those bonds are permanent.

To Lt. Mike Curtain and all the shipmates I served with: You are not forgotten. We keep the watch by remembering your names and telling your stories.