‘We always cuddle before we take off’: Mother and daughter reveal what it’s like to both work as BA pilots – with fascinating footage showing mum teaching her eldest how to land a Dreamliner in a flight simulator

A mother and daughter have revealed what it’s like to share their dream job as a pilot, work for the same airline – and ‘land’ a plane together in a state-of-the-art simulator.

Teresa Irving, 56, and her daughter Gabriella Irving, 29, both work for British Airways, where Teresa serves as captain of a Boeing 787 and her daughter as first officer of the Airbus A320.

The pair often cross paths at their base at Heathrow Airport, where they wish each other a ‘safe flight’ for the day and share a ‘big hug’ before leaving on separate planes.

And Gabriella, who goes by Ella, said she still calls her mother after every landing now that she has been a qualified pilot for two years.

On Mother’s Day, the pair shared their admiration for each other in a moving exclusive interview with MailOnline Travel.

Ella said: “I have always been so proud of my mother’s career. When I was little, I was excited to tell people about her work.

‘I have very early memories of sitting in the cockpit – back when children were allowed to visit – and it seemed almost normal to see her flying this huge plane, knowing what all those hundreds of buttons did and talked on the radios.”

However, it wasn’t “plane” sailing for Teresa to find her dream job.

Initially pursuing a career as a doctor, she left school after her A-levels in 1985 to begin medical training at University College London (UCL).

When she started studying psychology in her second year, she realized that medicine “wasn’t for her.”

It wasn’t until she was accepted into the University of London Air Squadron that Teresa realized her calling.

“It literally changed my life,” she said. ‘After my first weekend at RAF Abingdon, two flights including aerobatics, I remember calling my mother and telling her I was going to be a pilot.

‘From then on I started flying as much as possible and was lucky enough to gain hours for three years while I completed my studies.’

Teresa graduated in 1990 when the Royal Airforce began accepting female pilots.

There she applied for a job as a pilot and also for a place on the BA-sponsored cadet program.

“I was determined that I would fly somehow,” she said.

‘It just so happened that I was accepted for both, but then I had to make a painful decision.

‘I always knew I wanted to be a mother and this became the deciding factor for me. As the RAF did not offer maternity leave at the time, I accepted BA’s offer.’

Teresa began training at the Oxford Air Training School in August that year and earned her wings 16 months later. Since then she has worked at BA, where she also raised three children.

Her eldest, Ella, said she has “always been in awe” of her mother, who has “combined an incredibly rewarding yet demanding career with being a fully present parent.”

Now the sky seems to be the limit for Ella too, described by her mother as ‘a chip off the old block’.

Teresa said: ‘I get quite emotional when I see Ella wearing the uniform I have worn for so long and seeing her so comfortable in what was only my world, but is now ours.

“I love that she calls me after every trip to share anecdotes and understand the nuances, and I think this appreciation for each other’s environment has brought us even closer together.

‘To see Ella so passionate about the career she is embarking on is everything a mother could ask for.’

The couple dreams of one day flying a plane together, with Teresa ‘under strict instructions’ from Ella not to retire early.

But there could be some debate over which plane they leave on, with Ella favoring the Airbus and Teresa a self-confessed ‘Boeing girl’.

And that’s no wonder.

The mother has an impressive history with the aircraft family, which has a yoke for maneuvering, while Airbus planes have a side stick.

During her career at BA she has flown the Boeing 757, 767, 777 and the ‘iconic’ jumbo jet 747. Now? She is a captain on the 787 Dreamliner.

For Mother’s Day, Teresa got the chance to show her daughter what the Boeing 787 is all about when they were invited to put BA’s flight simulator of the aircraft to the test.

Footage from inside shows Teresa telling Ella she’s ‘doing fantastic’ as she guides her through the landing of the 68-metre plane and encourages her to “let it come down” and “let it sink in” just before landing.

“Brilliant, great fun,” Teresa adds. “Look, you can easily fly Boeings,” she jokes to her daughter in the video.

Speaking to MailOnline Travel, Ella said the experience was ‘everything I wanted and more’ – and that flying with her mother was ‘nothing like the driving lessons we had when I was 17’.

She praised Teresa as “a great captain” but joked that the Boeing plane was “much easier” to fly thanks to the “Head-up Display” – which shows the pilot important flight information while still being able to see out the cockpit window.

Flying planes certainly run in Ella’s family, whose father and stepfather are also pilots.

As for her two siblings, they have “decided to keep their feet on the ground so far,” she said. “But with our family it’s impossible to say.”

But it is Teresa who proves to be Ella’s driving force, described by her daughter as ‘truly inspiring’.

Her mother expanded on her passion for the job – as a pilot and mother – in a message to aspiring female pilots.

“Follow your dreams and with perseverance and determination you can do it,” she assured the waiting pilots.

‘It’s the most amazing job for a woman. It’s incredible for a family.

‘You become a bit yourself. You can go away and fulfill yourself.

“But when you come home, you also get time at home where you don’t have anything to do other than be a mom, and that’s just great.”