These Mother-Daughter FedEx Pilots Are Making History
No dream is out of reach for Teri Eidson and Nicole McCallister! The FedEx pilots recently broke ground as the first mother and daughter to co-pilot an international flight. Meet these inspiring new FACES of Memphis.
Aviation is a family affair for Teri Eidson and Nicole McCallister. The duo, both pilots for FedEx, share a passion for flying and an accomplishment for the history books. Just before Mother’s Day this year, the two became the first mother and daughter to co-pilot an international flight — a glass ceiling they shattered almost 91 years after Amelia Earhart’s first transatlantic flight.
Nicole was just a toddler when she first went up in an airplane with her mom. On April 27, she joined her again in the cockpit of the 777 cargo jet they flew together during a nearly 7,000-mile, 15-hour trek from Memphis to Incheon, South Korea. Teri captained the flight while Nicole handled the takeoff and landing. We caught up with Teri, a Denver-based captain on the 777, and Nicole, an Air Force Reserves pilot and Anchorage-based first officer on the 777, for more on their groundbreaking feat.
Tell us about your backgrounds — what inspired you both to become pilots?
Teri: When I was a little girl, we lived close to the airport in Perth, Australia. I remember watching planes fly overhead and thinking how cool that was. Back then (in the 1960s), girls who wanted to get into aviation were flight attendants. In high school, I had a teacher who told us, “You don’t have to be the cheerleader; you can be the athlete.” It made me realize I wanted to be the pilot, not the flight attendant.
Nicole: I grew up seeing my parents fly, so I was always interested in it. When I was 13, my godfather, who was a pilot as well, took me up in his Cessna, and we did some maneuvers. The one that really excited me was called a hammerhead, where you go straight up, stall out, and come right back down like a roller coaster. I loved it! I was having so much fun I couldn’t stop smiling.
My parents encouraged me to be a lawyer instead because being a pilot is a lot of work, and the industry can be unstable. But I was adamant, so they said, “If you want this, you need to find a way to get trained really well.” I got on with the military, did my flight training, and continued from there.
How did you both end up working at FedEx and what support did you receive along the way?
Teri: I had lots of encouragement from my family but didn’t have much financial support. My parents were immigrants. My dad was a construction worker, and my mom was a seamstress, so they didn’t know anything about aviation. I started taking flying lessons, working several jobs to pay for them, and I was able to get my pilot license. In college, I got a degree in aviation, where I met my husband. He got a job at FedEx in the late ’80s, so we moved to Memphis. If you worked for FedEx and had all your ratings, they would let you fly support on smaller corporate jets as co-pilot. I went to work as a baggage handler in 1991 — and they put me on the list. In 1995, I interviewed for the freight side of the company and got the job.
Nicole: It had always been my dream to work with FedEx. When I was younger, I used to go with my parents to Christmas parties in the old Falcon building. FedEx has always been a part of my life. Flight training is extremely expensive, and FedEx offered assistance with that as part of a program working with them. After graduating from college, I started working as a courier and package handler at a sort facility, and FedEx helped pay for my instrument rating.
I’ve been blessed with tremendous support from my parents, people from the military, my guard unit, and Ravn, a small airline I flew with in Alaska. My husband picked up and moved with me so I could pursue my dream. He even built a simulator of one of the aircraft I was learning to fly so I could practice at home.
How did the trip to South Korea come about, and what was the experience like for both of you?
Teri: Every month, we bid the trips we will take for the next month. Nicole had a stretch of reserve days, so she wasn’t able to bid a line to fly that particular month. I approached our fleet captain and asked if she could trade her reserve days to be my first officer on the flight. It was exciting! We had checklists and procedures we had to follow and duties as captain and co-pilot, so it wasn’t like I could reach over and do something for her. I just treated her with the respect it took for her to be there as my first officer. Once we got to altitude, we were able to talk a little bit, but much of that time was spent working together as a crew.
Nicole: I was just excited to fly with my mom! She offered to let me fly, so she was the pilot monitoring, and my dad was in the jump seat. He was one of two pilots who relieved us so we could rest because it was such a long flight. No pressure at all flying with your mom to your left and your dad right behind you!
What was the highlight of the trip?
Teri: When we landed in Incheon, we were pretty tired and went to bed, but the next day, we had dinner at a barbecue place my husband likes to go to. It was fun for the three of us to be able to hang out on a layover. We don’t normally get to do that!
Nicole: We had a longer layover for this trip, so it was fun going out and sightseeing in South Korea with my mom.
How did it feel to achieve this historic milestone together?
Teri: We’ve had so many women lay paths before us to make it easy for us to do this. We just did our jobs. I wish it hadn’t taken this long for a mother and daughter to fly together on an international flight. There are so many men I know — father-and-son crews — who have flown together for years.
Nicole: My mom has been a cornerstone of my life, and she’s always been there for me. For that to culminate in a flight where we made history together, I’m thankful that all of her hard work and sacrifice came back full circle for her.
How have you learned from and inspired each other?
Teri: Getting through the aviation program in the Air Force is difficult. There’s so much to absorb in a short time, but Nicole did it — and she did it very well. She was eight months pregnant when she interviewed at FedEx! It’s one of the hardest interviews to get through, but she was a trooper. I was so proud of her for that.
Nicole: My mom has been so supportive. She’s always wanted to make sure that my brother, sister, and I get to where we want to go. She’s never handed anything to us, but she’s found ways to help us help ourselves. I’ve never thought twice about being a pilot and a mom because I’ve seen my mom do both so well.
What’s the secret to balancing your motherhood role with your career as a pilot?
Teri: I was fortunate with FedEx. I was able to bid short trips that went back and forth so I could be home — probably more than a mom who worked 40 hours a week. I didn’t upgrade to the next seat on a bigger plane for a while. I stayed where I was and built seniority so I could bid the lines with the trips and days off I wanted. When the kids got into high school and didn’t need me as much, I started leaving them for a little longer. Now that they’re grown up, I can fly the kind of trips I always wanted to fly.
Nicole: I’m still learning, but open, honest communication works best. My husband and I speak frequently about the tempo at home and how things are going. He lets me know when he feels I need to be home more. FedEx does a good job of allowing me to balance my work with the Reserves — and the Reserves are great about saying when they need me. All that helps me figure out what I need to give more of my time to and where I need to be flexible. My mom never once missed any of our birthdays because she prioritized them, even if she made less money that month.
What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received?
Teri: It’s something a nurse told me after Nicole was born: When it comes to being a parent, there is no manual. You have to trust your instincts and do what you feel is right between yourself and your child.
Nicole: My mom always says that when you’re trying to figure things out in life, it’s easy to go to one extreme or the other, but it’s best to keep a happy middle. So, I try to find the happy middle between being at home with my son and enjoying our family time and going out and flying.
Beyond family, friends, and faith, what are three things you can’t live without?
Teri: Having a goal to keep me motivated, learning and discovering new things, and exercising to keep me active.
Nicole: A good book, my bed, and my coffee maker!
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Emily McMackin
Emily McMackin Dye is an Alabama native and Tennessee transplant, who recently moved to Memphis from Nashville. A freelance writer, she enjoys exploring history, culture, and the lifestyle scene surrounding her new home in The Bluff City.