Zachary Anglin proved to the world that you really can do whatever you put your mind to, even flying with no hands or feet! Anglin, a quadruple amputee from Nigeria, was born without hands or feet. He grew up with 18 siblings with his adoptive mother, Patty Anglin, from Wisconsin.
Up until the age of eight, he was unaware that he was missing both hands and feet, recalling that he had to keep up with his siblings when it came to activities like skateboarding, tree climbing, and even fighting over the last slice of pizza.
Anglin found a strong interest in aviation at a young age. He initially developed a liking for airplanes because his mother was a frequent traveler. He told Newsweek, “My dad was an airplane fanatic as well, which inspired me to be a pilot even more.”
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Nevertheless, he recounted that when he told people he wanted to be a pilot in his senior year, they told him, “‘Zack, that’s a little extreme for your condition, why not do something that’s a little bit safer?’” His counselor in school advised him to go into law instead, but he refused. “I’m a little bit stubborn sometimes, which can be beneficial for me.”
It was his driven nature that led him to apply to five flight schools in 2017 and was accepted into one of them. He then traveled to Oklahoma from Wisconsin to Spartan College of Aeronautics for flight school at the start of 2018 after receiving the admission letter.
Given his condition, he failed his medical examinations five times, but he persevered, hoping for an opportunity to prove to everyone that if given the chance, he could fly.
At a point, he gave up. He told CBS, “I was like, this is not for me. This is impossible to do.” Nevertheless, he picked up his dream again because his mother, who is among his biggest supporters, wouldn’t let him give up.
He persisted in contacting the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which had turned him down five times until the receptionist became accustomed to his presence. His perseverance paid off, and he was allowed to take a SODA (statement of demonstrated ability), which required him to do something unusual for a pilot.
Anglin had to fly to Tulsa, undergo three hours of training, and then return to Oklahoma City to fly with an FAA Designated Airman to obtain his medical license, whereas a regular pilot would need to consult an aviation doctor.
He narrated, “On the day, I was very nervous. I remember thinking, ‘Okay, well, this is it.’ If I failed the SODA, I could no longer become a pilot. But I was hopeful because, after five denials, heartbreak, and grit, I finally had the opportunity to show people what I could do.”
“Thankfully, I passed my SODA. I remember being told: ‘Congratulations, you’re going to be able to learn how to fly!’ I was so happy.”
When he was asked what his biggest challenge would be as a pilot, he shocked FAA employers by answering, “Putting on a tie.”
Even with his license, Anglin had to work out how to operate a plane, which has a lot of buttons, pedals, and switches, and he had to change his sitting posture to reach the pedals on the aircraft’s floor.
In 2019, he broke through the glass ceiling by becoming the world’s first-ever commercial quadruple amputee pilot.
He now administers SODA tests to others and even shared a success story of how he helped a man who lost his limb and is now a pilot.
He remarked, “I’m glad that I can give back because I had a lot of people in my corner helping me through my journey. It was a long process, but it certainly was worth it. I’m glad that I kept on going. I’m very grateful for the gift of perseverance.”
He added, “My story isn’t just for amputees. We all go through trials and tribulations. The word ‘impossible’ is an illusion behind the word ‘possible.'”
