Breaking News

Although born without hands or feet, Zach Anglin says the only limbs he's ever longed for are wings.

Anglin, 25, told CBS News that he always wanted to be a pilot. No quadruple amputee has ever held a commercial pilot role, but that didn't stop him from dreaming.

"From the time he was born, he was a disciplined and determined child," his mother Patty Anglin said.

When Anglin turned 18, he applied to a flight school that turned him down. That happened again, and again, and again — in all, Anglin was turned down by over a dozen flight schools.

"Obviously, nothing worth having comes easy," Anglin said. "...My wife will tell you, I'm a little bit hard-headed."

Finally, he applied to the Spartan College of Aeronautics in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The school said yes, and while Anglin was thrilled, he realized his fight to fly was just getting started.

He didn't just need to get into school. He had to get approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to take the flying lessons. He was rejected five times, and finally, Anglin gave up.

Recreated News Article

"I was like, this is not for me. This is impossible to do," an individual said. 

However, their parent wasn't letting them give up on their dream. 

"She's like, you're not done yet," the individual remembered. 

"I said: 'You can never succeed until you've learned to fail,'" the parent said. 

It was the boost the individual needed. They kept at it, including calling the FAA almost 200 times, until they finally got clearance for one takeoff. 

When the individual was given the opportunity to show their potential, it became as clear as a blue sky that you don't need hands to have wings. 

After graduating flight school, the individual now teaches the same course that so many told them they couldn't even take. 

"My story isn't just for amputees," the individual said. "We all go through trials and tribulations. The word 'impossible' is an illusion behind the word 'possible.'"