His Make-a-Wish dream was to fly a plane, and 15 years later, this man is a pilot


As a pilot for Skywest Airlines, Anthony Lickteig-Carter now flies over his childhood home in Minneapolis, where he used to dream about being a pilot.
"I can't remember not wanting to be a pilot," he told WCCO. "I came out with aviators on, ready to rock and roll." Lickteig-Carter, 29, was born with gastroschisis, meaning his stomach was outside of his body. He had to have multiple surgeries as a child, and after having his final one in 2001, the Make-a-Wish Foundation put him and his family on a plane; they flew to Milwaukee in first class, and Lickteig-Carter was given a pilot's uniform to wear, made an announcement over the loudspeaker, and was able to chat with the pilots and walk around the plane with them. "It was probably the happiest time of my childhood, right there," he said.
The experience made his desire to become a pilot even stronger, and today, he flies the CRJ 200, 700, and 900. "I just want everyone to know if you think about something, and you love doing it, chase it," Lickteig-Carter says. "Chase it until you run out of gas."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Tivoli Kopke Porto Gaia Hotel: a foodie haven in Portugal's Douro Valley
The Week Recommends Luxury city hotel with food from a Michelin-starred chef – and plenty of port
-
A zombie volcano is coming back to life, but there is no need to worry just yet
Under the radar Uturuncu's seismic activity is the result of a hydrothermal system
-
Codeword: May 12, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia