While flying with her daughter was already a special experience, the journey turned into a family affair when Eidson’s husband replaced one of the relief pilots and joined them.
“It was actually the three of us flying together, and that was really cool,” Eidson remarked.
Reflecting on the flight, Eidson mentioned that it went smoothly and felt surprisingly natural. “When we’re flying together, she responds to checklist items and I respond to call-outs just like normal. We got to cruise, you get to kick back a little bit and put the autopilot on and talk and stuff. But for the most part, she was my copilot. Then we get on the ground and we had a good time. We got to eat dinner and hang together so on the layovers, it was fun,” she recalled.
McAllister shared her perspective with CBS News, saying, “It was one of the better landings I’ve had.” Reflecting on the experience, she added, “In that moment, it was funny because my mom was sitting right next to me, but I also reflected on what my mom said which was like I know I’m going to do well and this is what I’ve worked for.”
She also expressed admiration for her inspirational mother, stating, “I just remember as a kid, she was always there and as an adult she’s always been here.”
Regarding future flights together, McAllister expressed uncertainty due to their different base locations. Eidson is based in Memphis, while McAllister is stationed in Anchorage, Alaska. “So for the future, I don’t know if we’d be able to accommodate a lot of trips together. It’d be nice, but they were able to make this trip happen,” McAllister concluded
