Curtis Lowell Eskew was born on 18 August 1924 in Boonville, Indiana; he transitioned to "Hawk" by taking on that as his call sign in his military career.

Hawk's first airplane ride was in a Pan American Boeing Clipper B-314 in March 1943. He was a mechanic and flight engineer. His first stick time was in a Navy PBM somewhere between New Caledonia and Australia while serving as a flight engineer with a Navy crew.

Hawk learned to fly in Newfoundland in a J-3 Cub. He holds License #10 in Newfoundland having been instructed by the man who holds License #1. His first solo was 4 January 1947 in an Aeronca Champ.

"My flying career was very colorful and exciting," says Hawk. As an example he gave this story: "It all started when on my first solo cross-country in the states. I got arrested by the state police for buzzing my hometown of 500 people. It cost me $14.00 and I got grounded for 14 days."

After 4 years with Pan American and the Naval Air Transport Service, Hawk went to college and was recruited by the United States Air Force. He was accepted in 1948 and received a class assignment in June of 1949. He got his wings and was commissioned as a 2ndLt on 23 June 1950, just 2 days before the Korean War started, as one of America's first 500 jet pilots. He spent the next 8 years in jet fighters, first flying the F-80 and F-86 with 100 missions in Korea.

After Korea, it was 5 years in the training command flying T-28s and T-33s at Bryan Air Force Base, Texas. This is where he met and married his wife, Rosalind, and their first two children (Curtis and Bruce) were born there.

Upon completing 5 years in the training command, he moved on to Strategic Air Command with 6 years flying B-47s at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida where their last 2 children (Kevin and Shannon) were born, and then 6 years at Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, New York flying the B-52G.

Hawk retired from the Air Force in July 1969 as a LtCol with many decorations. He served as a fighter pilot, instructor pilot, aircraft commander, operations officer and squadron commander during his 20 years in the Air Force and 4 years in the Navy.

Some of the things Hawk highlights as a military pilot were:
1. I was written up in two books: "First of the Spacemen" and "The Korean Air War" with articles and pictures,
2. I was in two movies for the Air Force: a Women in the Air Force recruiting film with Miss USAF and a training film, "Eyes of Flight" by Bausch and Lomb.
3. I helped to develop and flew the first jet penetration into New York City 5 years before the airlines got jets.
4. My B-47 crew was twice chosen as the best crew out of 75 and flew in the World Bombing Competition.
5. The VIPs I flew with and for were: Chuck Yeager on a test flight at Edwards Air Force Base; and Tony LaVier, Lockheed test pilot, from Texas to California in a T-33.

After his career in the military, Hawk retired to Sarasota, Florida to build a new home at Hidden River, a new fly-in community. He was able to fly his airplane in 12 minutes to Venice Airport where he worked as a mechanic and flight instructor for 15 years. Hawk highlights some things as he worked as a civilian pilot:
1. I served 18 years as the pilot for United States Senator Lawton Chiles, who later became Florida's governor.
2. I developed and operated a FAA repair station. I managed a Fixed-Base Operation (FBO) and developed a flight school and charter operation. Hawk shared the thing he's most proud of as a FAA flight instructor: "I taught my first son, Curt, to fly."

Hawk is a member of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, a descendant from Pvt Samuel Youngblood of the South Carolina Militia. He is a member of the Military Order of Retired Officers, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Order of Daedalians, and the Quiet Birdmen.
Hawk accumulated 14,000 hours flying time in various aircraft throughout his career.