About Us

From Air Taxi to Charter Leader:

McCall Aviation's 40-Year Legacy.

McCall Aviation has been an aviation charter operator in and around the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness since our inception in 1976 as McCall Air Taxi.

McCall Aviation over the clouds

In 2002 McCall Air Taxi was purchased and the name was changed to McCall Aviation. Since then, we have provided 40 plus years of safe, reliable service to numerous outfitters, guides, lodge owners, hunters, as well as individuals just wanting to get a bird’s eye view via a scenic flight.

We strive to be the standard bearer when it comes to safety and delivering the highest levels of customer service. We are accessible 24hrs a day, 7 days a week via our after hours dispatch phones. 

This pledge has been reinforced and fostered by the purchase of McCall Aviation in June 2016 by Avcenter, another charter operator based in Pocatello, with offices in Idaho Falls, Salmon, and Nampa.

The ownership has breathed a renewed sense of dedication and vision into McCall Aviation, which empowers our teams to uphold a strong commitment to quality service and customer satisfaction. 

 
Our Team

Our Amazing Team

We have great employees, work together, and provide a great place to work. Together, we work tirelessly to provide exceptional service to our clients, ensuring that every interaction with McCall Aviation is memorable and rewarding.

John Whalen – General Manager
John is our newest member of senior staff and brings experience from 24+ years of Naval Service followed by 20+ years as a Government Contractor delivering specialized training to tens of thousands of personnel supporting our national security interests.

He loves McCall and everything outdoors. His free time is spent with his wife Jeannie and two Rhodesian Ridgebacks - Piper and Whisky. Hobbies include Fly Fishing, Mountain Biking, Hockey, and restoring vintage bicycles.
Tor Andersen – Chief Pilot Tor is McCall Aviation’s Chief Pilot with over 5,000 hours flying the backcountry. His obsession with airplanes began at an early age stemming from his childhood in Alaska. He began flying at 14, and in 2006 began work here as a Line Service Tech where he completed his pilot’s license. While working the line, he would jump on every flight possible to learn the local geography while receiving tutoring from local backcountry pilots. In 2010, he began flying commercially for McCall Aviation and hasn’t looked back.

Most if his off time is spent with his wife and two girls, shuttling between the activities of two active and adventurous daughters. In his free time, he enjoys skiing, fishing, hiking, river trips, and the occasional exploration or hunt in areas he frequents overhead.
Eric Anderson – Pilot Eric’s backcountry experience includes landings on dozens of dirt strips in Idaho and Oregon on a variety of Cessnas and our Kodiak 100. An Idaho native who grew up in the Treasure Valley. He learned to fly during high school before leaving for the Naval Academy with dreams of flying jets off aircraft carriers. He was able to fulfill those dreams with 20 years in the US Navy. Accumulating 2000+ hours in the F/A-18 Super Hornet with 400+ aircraft carrier landings. He flew several other aircraft including the A-10C Warthog while serving with the US Air Force.

Eric taught mathematics at the Air Force Academy before retiring and has been flying for McCall Aviation in Idaho’s backcountry and all over the west ever since. Eric and his wife Kristen of over 25 years, have five children, who after moving all over the west now consider themselves Idahoans!
Andrea Eldridge – Pilot
With over 10,000 flight hours, Andrea has logged everything from tailwheel time in her 1947 Luscombe 8a to oceanic flights in heavy jets for TWA and American Airlines. She has also been selected to be an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner.

Retiring to Idaho in 2021, she now enjoys flying hunters, rafters, and seekers of the best backcountry breakfast to airstrips in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness in McCall Aviation’s Kodiak 100. An avid writer, Andrea is a prize winning poet, and her aviation industry essays can be found in magazines including Smithsonian/Air & Space. Here’s a link to Andrea's story about backcountry flying in Big Sky Journal: https://bigskyjournal.com/back-talk.

She has discovered bass fishing, morel hunting, and snowshoeing on the mountainside where she lives with her husband and two dogs.
Julie Yates – Accounting Clerk | Bookkeeping Julie has been with us for 9+ years and does everything from Accounting and Bookkeeping to Personnel Records Management.
Jennifer Holbrook – Charter Ops Manager Jen has been with us for 11+ years and is charged with all things planes, pilots, and passengers. She runs a tight ship and crushes it in Charter Reservations, Logistics, and Backcountry Operations. If she doesn’t know something, she will find the answer and follow up with you. She consistently receives accolades for her Can- Do spirit and innate ability to create close continuous communications between our customers, our team, and the local community.

Born and raised on a farm in Idaho has instilled strong work ethics, initiative, and reliability. When Jen isn’t working here you will find her outside doing something productive. She has four daughters and one granddaughter who she adores. She loves camping, hunting, fishing, and anything outdoors.

Contact us with any questions you may have.

Our dedicated team is committed to providing prompt and comprehensive support to address all your inquiries and concerns. Feel confident reaching out to us for the assistance you need.