Wendell Carter Jr., the center for the Orlando Magic, has taken a unique approach to inspire the next generation through his love of aviation. Wendell Carter Jr., born on April 16, 1999, in Atlanta, Georgia, to Wendell and Kylia Carter, both collegiate basketball players. His path from would be military pilot to NBA player is a testament to his exceptional adaptability and tenacity.
Carter’s love for aviation started early on, thanks to his mother’s profession. Fifteen years of her life were spent with a large, yellow, unionized construction crew, building and rebuilding the multi-runway of Hartsfield-Jackson, Atlanta International Airport. As a child, Wendell wanted to be a pilot. That dream came under attack when he himself was just 11 years old. As a 6-foot-4 point guard, he already stands out. With a projection to eventually approach 7 feet, he quickly came to the realization that some planes have height limits that might cut his dreams short.
His dreams of war flying were crushed by the accident, but his passion for flight only grew. After meeting a pilot who stood at 6-foot-6, Carter discovered that there are ways around height limitations for certain planes. When this piece of information came to light, it reignited his dream and highlighted the need for representation in aviation.
“As I got older, I started seeing [aeronautical] movies, reading books and it was never really about Black people,” said Carter.
Carter’s passion for basketball took shape at a young age, eventually turning into Carter’s first love. As he refined his craft on the court, he always kept one eye on the sky with an unyielding commitment to his aviation aspirations. This unique combination of excitement and frustration has certainly informed his perspective on life and career.
In August 2024, Carter and the A Platform2 Foundation hosted an event called Flight 34 for Orlando-area high school students. This program is designed to spark interest in aviation and aerospace careers among young people. What many students didn’t realize was that there were flight schools nearby. Many had never so much as stepped on an airplane.
“These kids not only didn’t know the flight school was here, some had never been in an airplane or anywhere near an airport,” Kylia Carter stated.
The Flight 34 program is a great example of Carter’s commitment to inspiring minority youth to pursue aerospace careers. He is proud to address the underrepresentation of Black people in the aviation industry and wants to continue removing barriers.
“You got the ones that kind of broke the barriers early on, but we’re still a minority in that field of work,” Carter explained. “So, it was something I kind of picked up on probably as I got older, probably in my teenage years when I got a little bit more mature.”
All throughout the event, students were immersed in hands-on activities that offered an up-close look at the complexities of aviation. Carter spoke about his personal experiences with flying and even told a great story about a chance meeting with a pilot.
“One of the first times she took me, I got to meet this pilot and he took me into the cockpit showing me how everything works, how all the buttons don’t necessarily get pushed,” he recalled.
Carter spoke eloquently about the sense of awe he experienced sitting in the cockpit and how that made him dream of flying one day. He stressed that although he is still committed to basketball, aviation still holds a special place for him.
“I just feel like it’s an interest of mine that outside of basketball. They say this basketball thing doesn’t last forever. So, I think that’s something I could pursue when I’m done and I could fly until I’m 80 years old,” Carter stated.
His commitment to inspiring youth transcends sports. As a nearing-retired professional athlete, he knows the influence he can have and wants to make sure he does good with it. He produces events such as Flight 34 to motivate and shape the minds of the youth. He wants them to consider aviation as a career path.
In a recent home game against the Boston Celtics, Carter showed why he’s going to make a huge impact. He tallied 16 points and eight rebounds, despite Orlando’s 109-100 loss. His work on the court and beyond epitomizes how the pursuit of excellence can manifest in all aspects of one’s life.
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