Blue Angels Pilot, Curt Watson (1983 - 1986)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ต.ค. 2024
- Produced by Ryan Nothhaft
email: blueangelphantoms@gmail.com
Website: www.blueangelphantoms.com
Twitter: @blueangelf4
Instagram: @blueangelphantoms
Curt Watson served with the United States Navy Blue Angels from 1983 to 1986. During that time, he held several positions, including as Narrator, Left Wing, Slot, and Lead Solo.
Born in Winchester, Tennessee, Curt focused much of his early attention on sports. He attended the University of Tennessee, where he played college football and earned the nickname "The Crossville Comet". Curt would later be drafted by New Orleans Saints in the 6th round of NFL Draft. Unfortunately, Curt's NFL career would be cut short when he was cut by the Green Bay Packers following an injury in training camp.
Curt joined the Navy and earned his Wings of Gold in the summer of 1977. After serving two West Pacific Deployments aboard the USS Constellation, he would apply for the Blue Angels on three separate occassions, only being accepted on his third attempt.
One of many career highlights Curt enjoyed while with the Blue Angels includes the time that he gave actor Tom Cruise a ride in the two-seater. As the story goes, Tom had yet to accept the role as Maverick in the movie "Top Gun", so the producers of the film asked if the Blue Angels could give him a flight in one of their jets to persuade his decision. Tom enjoyed the experience so much that immediately following his flight with Curt, he found a payphone and officially committed to the film.
After leaving the Navy, Curt joined FedEx as a pilot, where he worked for 28 years flying a number of different aircraft including the MD-11 and the Boeing 777.
In 2015, Curt was inducted into the Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame.
Blue Angels 1983 Team
1. CDR Dave Carroll
2. Maj Mark Lauritzen,USMC
3. LCDR Scott Anderson
4. LT Kevin Miller
5. LCDR Jim Ross
6. LCDR Chris Ives
7. LCDR Curt Watson
8. LCDR John Virden
Blue Angels 1984 Team
1. CDR Larry Pearson
2. Maj Mark Lauritzen
3. LCDR Curt Watson
4. LCDR Scott Anderson
5. LCDR Chris Ives
6. LCDR Andy Caputi
7. LCDR Mike Gershon
8. LCDR John Virden
Blue Angels 1985 Team
1. CDR Larry Pearson
2. Capt Mark Bircher, USMC
3. LCDR Pat Walsh
4. LCDR Curt Watson
5. LT Andy Caputi
6. LCDR Mike Gershon
7. LCDR David Anderson
8. Maj Bill Campbell, USMC
Blue Angels 1986 Team
1. CAPT Gil Rud
2. Capt Mark Bircher, USMC
3. LCDR Donnie Cochran
4. LCDR Pat Walsh
5. LCDR Curt Watson
6. LCDR David Anderson
7. LCDR Wayne Molnar
8. Maj Bill Campbell, USMC
Griz was a great Blue Angel, but also a fantastic squadron mate. Proud to have served with him.
In my mind he'll always be the "Crossville Comet".
What amazes me, is the humility all of these great men show. The best pilots in our military and never once do you sense any arrogance.
What a heartwarming story ! The humility, modesty & utmost probity with which all these heroes carry themselves is phenomenal. It never fails to inspire me whenever I listen to them speak about their life. 😊
Great interview. Was a pleasure being friends with his Crew Chief Don Clark would love to see interviews and more information on the great ground crew that keeps the jets in the air. Salute to all the BLUES
As a little feller, I would be so excited when the air show would come to Kissimmee, Fl. I remember the Blue Angel pilots would walk down the flight line and sign autographs and one particular Blues pilot stopped and looked at me with my University of Tennessee hat on and said “Young man, I really love that hat you’re wearing” as he signed my program and shook my hand. It was Curt Watson. Thank you for sharing this and a fond memory.
I love these videos. You're capturing an important piece of Naval Aviation history.
Glad to hear you are enjoying the interviews. I'll keep making them as long these amazing individuals keep letting me do it.
Was a A4 plane captain for 12 years 78 -90 with VMA 223 until we transitioned to the AV8B. I watched you fly in numerous shows and when we were training in el centro ... awesome story and thank you for sharing it with us...
Love this series on the Blue Angels history as told by former team members!!!!. Such an amazing number of moving and revealing testimonies on a timeless team. Go Navy!!!!. Go Blue Angels!!!!.
Glad you’re enjoying the series. More to come!
@@BlueAngelPhantoms thanks, I'm a faithful subscribe and a Blue Angels lore lover. Keep them coming please!!!.
You are creating such a fantastic record for future aviation enthusiasts. Please keep up the good work!
what a sweetheart, thank you Mr. Watson for your service!!
You know, these mini documentaries are so awesome. So well done. Thank you for doing this, they are so valuable for the history of the Blues and aviation in general.
Curt is my second cousin and as a child I remember attending his airshows arriving with a police escort and just being awe struck by the entire day!! I remember my father taking me out of grade school one day and going to Deer Valley Airport to meet up with Curt and I was allowed to sit in his jet! Meeting the entire team and having breakfast with them all. Words cannot explain how cool that was to me. What an amazing experience! Curt inspired me to join the Navy and spent 4 of the best years of my life serving our country as a Hospital Corpsman with the Marines on Camp Pendleton. Thank you Griz!
Ryan, I was just thinking when are you dropping another video.. bam..These are some of the best videos on TH-cam. Your work is getting better and better with each story. THANK YOU!!!
Thank you so much for your kind words. It's humbling to know that you hold my channel in such high regard. The Blue Angels alumni are no doubt a special group of people and I'm honored when any of them agree to let me document their stories. More to come!
Another home run Ryan! Thanks for doing these interviews . . . very important to document such valuable experiences and memories!
Thanks, Michael. I love meeting these amazing people and sharing their stories. Thanks so much for sharing your appreciation. I’m always thrilled when I get comments like yours.
Amazing airshow in 1985 when you and the team visited Puerto Rico performing in San Juan. That was the last time I saw the Blues in the A-4F Skyhawk. Still have videos from you and your 1985 team, an outstanding team.
I remember Curt.... what a great run sir.......
Awesome stuff.
Keep these videos coming.
I was at many BA shows in the 80’s when Watson was on the team. I was in College at the time.
Great memories
Another great interview/video. Brings back memories of watching the little A-4 fly at Deer Valley airport in Phoenix.
Looking forward to the next one.
Thank You.
F-18 is a badass airplane !! Got to see Curt play a couple of times when I was in high school. The CROSSVILLE COMET'
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Ryan Another outstanding effort. Your dedication to detail, accuracy and prompting the subject to tell his story is evident. Butch would be proud. D
Hank Nothhaft Thanks, Dad. Appreciate all the support from you and Mom. Happy Fathers Day. Love you. - Ryan
As a 8-10 year old kid, I remember watching the Blue Angel A4s fly over my apartments in Grand Prairie, Tx.
They flew out of Dallas NAS when they were in town. They always put on amazing shows and are my all time favorites!
The Thunderbirds are really cool also, but I grew up watching the Blues.
Great childhood memories!
Griz's sister was going through Navy flight training at the same time as I so I got to meet Griz a couple of times. Once must have been when he was interviewing for the Blues the first time and visited NAS Corpus Christi in his A-7 to meet with the folks at the Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA) HQ. My first and I lived aboard Miramar from mid-'83 to fall '87 so between rehearsals and shows, I got to see the Blues many times through the 80s.
Thanks for an incredible interview! Congrats on your tour with The Blues, and thanks for your service! Never heard that story about Tom C before, seems like GRIZ made a smart choice!
I was a young Second Class Air Traffic Controller in Milton, FL stationed at Whiting Field. Before I transfered to USS Ranger it was a great experience to see this man and the team perform at their season finale at NAS Pensacola in 1984. What a great show in the 'scooter' A-4 Skyhawk. I still wish I could have seen them in the Phantom II.
Griz, You continue to inspire me.
Great one Curt. Thanks
Incredible story. Thanks for sharing.
My husband, Gary Vandever (Crossville High School Jets classmate of Curt's) got to see the Blue Angels in Smyrna, TN back in the 80's.
Great job!
I only saw the blue angels once in Chicago they are amazing and I would think this is an exciting experience.enjoyed the article
Great interview Ryan!
Thanks, Russell. I enjoyed seeing Curt's pictures of your father. You can tell that the team held your father in high regard.
I was an HM3 at the NAF El Centro clinic in 1983..what great memories!
Keep up the great work!
I graduated with Curt from high school. As a grade school football player I would lie on the ground and grab his ankle and trip him. He always accused me of hiding behind a blade of grass because I was so small, 84 pounds. Later, I made the mistake of trying to grab his waist and tackle him. He nearly beat me to death with his thighs :) I have watched Curt throughout his career, and he is the only person I ever met you truly lived up to his potential in everything he tried. He was naturally physically gifted, but he also gave 150% to everything he did, school, sports, flying later on with Fed Ex and as a husband and father. I am proud to call him my friend, and I can assure you everyone in Crossville, Tennessee remembers the "Crossville Comet" as THE greatest football player to ever come out of Cumberland County High School and one of the greatest at the University of Tennessee. Even more, he is a good person, which, in the end, is what really counts. His fame never went to his head.
What a cool story!
Great video
Great football player. Go Vols
Love, love the A4 Skyhawk!
Surprised no comment on 1985 Niagara Falls fatal crash. All of the other videos talk about any accidents that occurred during their respective tours.
Tito! I need a tissue! Great Video!
Hey CURT..Best Regards..Eric Wischhusen
I got a couple of photos of him signing autographs.
Make Sure everyone States Happy and get into the Military 🇺🇸🌏🌎🌍🇺🇸🙏
A4 best Blue Angles aircraft ever.
If you don't end up with 100K+ subscribers, I'll lose faith in humanity.
knew Curt's. family, he came from stock.
🇻🇮
Please check out the private message I sent you on the site that you are registered on