For the first officers Vanessa Riveiro and her son, Eduardo Briceño Riveiro, aviation is truly a family matter. And more than that, they are the first mother-son pilots of the American airline Atlas Air, one of the largest airlines in the world.
“My parents are both pilots,” Eduardo said. “My father is now a retired captain after 45 years with a commercial airline as a pilot of the 747 and 777. My mother, Vanessa, has always had a passion for aviation and used to take me on a Cessna when I was a teenager in Seattle, Washington. She dreamed of a career as a pilot but put those plans aside to raise four children.”
A few years ago, after the children grew up, Vanessa returned to aviation by working at DHL. While living in Panama City, she flew to and from Miami International Airport (MIA), where she had an exceptional view of the enormous Atlas Air Boeing 747s, the Jumbo Jets, which has over 50 aircraft in its fleet.
“The aircraft was breathtaking,” Vanessa recalled. “I had a lot of interaction with the Atlas pilots and talked to Captain David Luse, who is now retired, and Captain George Kuhn about the company. I felt it would be a good option for me.”
After completing her FAA ATP (Airline Transport Pilot) certification, Vanessa joined Atlas as a first officer (also known as a co-pilot) on the Boeing 767 in December 2019.
The joy of fulfilling her dream was soon replaced by uncertainty just a few months later. Vanessa wanted to return to her home in Panama, but she couldn’t due to the strict COVID regulations in the country during the pandemic.
“It was during that time that Atlas truly became my family and kept me going,” Vanessa said. “Although I couldn’t go back home, I got to see many new places around the world. We did many military transport flights during that time, which I really enjoyed.”
At the same time, Vanessa’s son, Eduardo, was working as a flight instructor, hoping to complete his requirements to join a regional airline. It took longer than expected due to the pandemic.
“I was frustrated and always talked to my mother about it,” Eduardo said. “She has always been a mentor to me, both personally and professionally. She told me all about Atlas, how much she enjoyed flying with the company, and how she believed in its values and the amazing people who work there. She thought it would be a great place for me someday. That kept me going.”
After completing his evaluations and flight hours, Eduardo got an interview at Atlas and joined the new hires class for the Boeing 767 in June 2022.
On Thanksgiving Day 2022, both Vanessa and Eduardo were on duty when they had a big surprise. Eduardo was scheduled for an observation flight, and the training and scheduling department at Atlas worked to have him observe his mother’s flight.
“It was a very special moment for me,” Vanessa said. “These are the little things the company does to make pilots feel special.”
Eduardo shared, “On that flight, I felt like part of the crew. It was amazing to see my mother fly.”
“I love that we both work at Atlas,” Vanessa said, who has since transitioned to the Boeing 747. “Even though we’re not flying the same aircraft, we’re on the same team. We always try to meet up when we can and discuss how we can work to be better crew members. I never, in my wildest dreams, thought we would be doing this together.”
Eduardo enjoys telling other Atlas pilots about his mother.
“When I tell someone at work that my parents are pilots, most people ask first where my father works,” Eduardo said. ”
One of my favorite things is when I can share with them that my mother is not just a pilot but an Atlas pilot. I’m proud to be the son of First Officer Vanessa Riveiro.”
Atlas is a small- medium sized company. Please stop exaggerating. Nice, the whole family flies. Why do we need to “ooo & ahhh” about women in aviation? They’re equal and have a hiring advantage (de facto quotas).