Dec. 21, 1920–Jan. 24, 2025
Colleague and friend
I had the honor of knowing Iris for most of my 18 years working at Mudd. She is certainly one of the most impressive people I have ever known and a true American hero. Her exploits are extraordinary and she brought great distinction to Mudd. Iris shared many of her experiences related to the 1936 Olympic games in great detail. I was deeply saddened to hear of her passing. She was one in a million.
Family friend
From as far back as I can remember, Iris has been a guiding light in my life—a mentor, a pioneer, and a cherished family friend. Her story is one of extraordinary achievement, unwavering dedication, and an enduring passion for aviation and education.
Her fascination with flight led her to the University of Southern California’s Civilian Pilot Training Program in 1939, where she became the first woman to graduate from the Advanced Acrobatics course in 1940.
During World War II, Iris served with distinction as a member of the Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASP), ferrying aircraft such as the P-38, P-51, and P-61 Black Widow for the 6th Ferrying Group at Long Beach, California. Her squadron commander was my mother, Barbara Erickson London, and together they forged a bond that extended beyond the war.
After the war, Iris and my mother and other women aviators, founded the Long Beach Chapter of the Ninety-Nines, an organization dedicated to supporting women pilots. Their collaboration extended to the All Women’s Transcontinental Air Race, affectionately known as the Powder Puff Derby, where they served on the Board of Directors, ensuring the race’s success year after year.
Iris’s commitment to aviation education was unparalleled. In 1962, she and her husband, Howard “Critch” Critchell, established the Bates Aeronautics Program at Harvey Mudd College. They nurtured countless students, some of whom would go on to become astronauts, until the program’s conclusion in 1990.
I had the privilege of following in Critch’s footsteps, joining Western Airlines as a pilot in 1976 and eventually retiring as a 767 Captain for Delta Airlines after its merger with Western in 1987. Iris and her family have been a profound influence on my life, embodying the spirit of perseverance and excellence.
Iris’s accolades are numerous: she was inducted into the National Flight Instructors Hall of Fame in 2000, received the FAA’s Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award in 2006, and was honored with the Nile Gold Medal by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale in 2007.
Her legacy is one of inspiration, mentorship, and trailblazing achievements. Iris passed away on January 24, 2025, in Claremont, California, at the age of 104, leaving behind a world significantly enriched by her contributions.
Iris, you will be deeply missed by me and all who had the honor of knowing you. Your indomitable spirit and dedication to aviation
continue to inspire generations.
Blue skies and tailwinds.
Terry London Rinehart
Barnstormers, and passed my Private Pilot flight test with her :)
Iris was my Ground School instructor as part of Barnstormers, and she took me for my very first instructional flight in 1992 – a flight I’m very proud to have logged in my “Bates Aeronautics Program” Logbook 🙂 After switching to another instructor for my finish-up, I then passed my Private Pilot flight test with her in December, 1993. It took me another 14 years to fill up that Bates logbook. I treasure my memories of flying with her, and am grateful for the doors that subsequently opened to me in aviation, thanks to the start she gave me.
Bates Aero class of '79-'80
While Critch was my primary flight instructor in 42G, Mrs. C was my ground school instructor and check pilot usually in 62Q. She was incredible in so many respects, and her enthusiasm for life and hard work had an indelible impact on me. I will always value her friendship, her wisdom, her passion, and her care for others and availability to talk when needed. Such an amazing woman was a beautiful gift to so many individuals, and to the world. With deep gratitude, what a privilege and joy it was to study under her and to know her as instructor, mentor, and friend. God bless you Iris!
Student
I was an oddball in the Bates Program, because I already had my Private license in high school. When I applied for Bates, Mrs C told me that they want everyone to go through the full program and don’t accept students just for the second year. But I must have charmed her sufficiently that she gave me a chance. When she was in the Bay Area during the summer before my Junior year she agreed to fly with me and give me a chance. I just checked my logbook, and on July 22 and 24 she flew a total of 3.8 hours with me in 7262Q. I remember those lessons vividly, because it was during those flights that she turned me into a real pilot! Until then I had been a very timid pilot, sometimes even afraid of being Pilot in Command. But her gentle encouragement on those two days brought out a self-confidence that I hadn’t had before! And she even signed me off for a Biannual Flight Review 🙂
I had a few more flights with my Dad that summer, and my first Bates lesson was on Aug 31st where I had to pass my Bates I stage checks with her. I don’t recall this, but according to my logbook she must have wanted to keep a close eye on this non-Bates trained pilot, because I flew my first 8-10 lessons with her, until my first stage check, after which she handed me over that November to the wonderful guidance of Barb Filkins (@Barb, you were an amazing instructor too! Thank you!). Mrs. C was my simulator instructor all the way through the program – I don’t think I’ve ever sweat so much sitting at a desk.
What an amazing lady, instructor, mentor. Such an honor to have had the privilege to have flown with Mrs C. Looking at all her remarks in my logbook brings a smile and a tear of appreciation!
PS: in all these years I never knew that there was a 8396X in Bates. It’s uncanny that my Archer is 8369X.
Bates Aero 3
When I was accepted for the Bates Program at Harvy Mudd in my sophomore year, I was excited that I was going to learn to fly. That had been an unachievable goal for me, but Isabel Bates’ generosity made it a realistic goal. In the beginning I didn’t realize that the end goal was to challenge young men in many ways, help them find potential and make them very responsible in a field where mistakes are not acceptable.
I also had no idea I was about to embark on a journey with two exceptional and dedicated individuals: Iris and Howard Critchell. This husband-and-wife team had the same vison as each other and Ms. Bates. It was about character and learning. Precision and safety. Pushing capabilities responsibly but respecting limits. Being a team member of our class of 9 students as well as the 9 students in the class ahead of us.
In short it became a family more than just a flying program. The Critchells treated us as family and we often did events together, dinners at there home. And several exciting extra events like visiting the Palmdale ATC, Edwards AFB, NASA Ames and meeting legendary aviation pioneers there. Not to mention that Iris herself was a legendary aviation pioneer. When I met her, she was only 46 years old! And had already accomplished as much in the cockpit as any member of her generation. She was an inspiration.
I haven’t been to California for quite a few years now but I tried to visit the Critchells whenever I did. Iris clearly acquired more years in her certificates but she never seemed to get old. My wife met her for the first time when 80-something Iris was emerging from her daily swim in Claremont. Sparkle and spirit were always there: in my case I saw it in our last email exchange in January.
I mentioned in the introduction that the Bates Program was focused on young men. That was Ms. Bates’ decision and the Foundation was her gift. It was obvious that Iris chaffed at this restriction. Her response was to include several young women from the Claremont Colleges family and unofficially make them part of the family in later years of the program. I’m sure that we were family with many of them and they showed the same love of aviation and independence as the boys did!
I thank Iris for making me who I am today. Some of it is technical: VORs, ATC, stalls and spins, safe arrivals, situational awareness, being precise but flexible when things go wrong. It helps me be a better citizen when I listen to aviation news. Informed, aware and cautious. And much more subjectively, a sense of my own capabilities, limitations and partnerships.
Iris and Critch were selfless and very special. We lost Critch 10 years ago. And we knew that we would lose Iris as those three-digit birthdays accumulated. Despite the sense of loss I am just very happy that I knew them, benefited from their wisdom and am a better person for their friendships.
Student, Bates instructor, and friend
I could say boatloads – no planeloads — about my interaction with Iris but space is limited. So here goes…
Iris had a way of expressing her opinion about things without overly stating her skepticism. Many of my interactions with her were marked by ‘humpf.’ Here are some of the more memorable.
The evening Iris passed, I was uploading my logbook to an electronic record and came across her endorsement for my flight instructor instrument rating. I remember the ‘humpf’ when I told her I wanted to teach for the Bates program — but she flew with me. I passed the practical check and immediately started teaching for the Bates program the very next day. Nuff said.
When I told her that I was marrying Dale, another pilot (not a Mudder), she again went ‘humpf’ but she and Critch stood up for our marriage on the HMC campus. And he was accepted into the Bates family. Nuff said.
By the time Dale and I got around to building the high-end experimental airplane – the Velocity V-Twin – she had mellowed a bit in her ‘humpfs’ – the ‘humpf’ wasn’t as quite direct and, when I reported back to her, I had soloed the twin, she immediately demanded to know how it felt to have 527VT all to myself.
During those early years, Mrs. C (as we all knew her) alluded to but never fully went into depth as to her impressive background as a pilot. But there were definite tell tales.
When Dale and I married, he owned a two-seat training airplane known as Grumman AA1. Iris did not outwardly approve of Grumman AA1 (again the ‘humpf’), but she (not so) subtly communicated that she was eager to fly it. When she took over the controls and sorted the airplane’s performance out in under 5 minutes, I went “whoa, how did she do that?” She then casually remarked that the AA1 handled much as some of the high-performance aircraft she had flown without further elaboration.
You might say that Mrs. C. was a force of nature. How else could she shame most of us who knew her into trying to keep up with her (mentally or even physically) at 90. 100, or 103? Also, as a force of nature, Iris took over most conversations easily. You could criticize her for that – but you better listen. And I only wish I had listened more.
What was it like having an instructor that is essentially a force of nature in the right seat instructing you? Looking at my early log book entries, the answer is “not easy.” But that primary training was much more than just learning to fly. Iris shaped how I live, how I teach, and more importantly how I contribute back to the world. She (together with her husband Critch) taught me the power of community – what can be achieved when you can bring people together.
I still feel the void of not hearing her voice in this lifetime BUT if I ask quietly “Iris – what would you do?” and listen closely, her voice resonates quite clearly. She taps me on my mental shoulder: “OK it’s a strong crosswind, how will you handle this?” – reminding me that I am pilot in control as to how I can improve the future.
Flight student
I had the fabulous good fortune to be a student of Iris Critchell in the Bates Aeronautics Program in the mid-1980s. As I’ve often told anyone who will listen, that experience set the course for my life and career. Iris taught me so many valuable life lessons that it’s hard to choose which ones to share in a limited space. But here are a few standouts.
1. If you get brought on board as an alternate, second, or deputy, appreciate the role and work hard at it. Frequently the backup person gets promoted to primary. That was the case for me and Bates, where I was accepted as a backup. It was a good thing that Iris encouraged me to pay full attention in ground school, because when other students had to drop out, I moved up to a flying slot! That experience repeated itself later. I went to Antarctica as a backup. I attended helicopter school as a backup. And I did my first spacewalk as a backup.
2. The best antidote for too much intellectual challenge is an activity, especially a physical one, that demands complete focus. As students, Harvey Mudd College’s rigorous academics dominated our time and attention. It was hard to tear ourselves away from it for extracurricular activities. Even when we weren’t in front of our books, our heads tended to remain there. Flying broke that obsession. For that hour in the air, Iris made us forget about differential equations and devote all of our attention to window pictures, engine and radio sounds, feedback from our kinetic senses, and the indications of panel instruments. Driving back to campus from Brackett Field I always felt elated and exhausted. But my mind was refreshed and ready to tackle more academics. I once read a study of human happiness that found that Buddhists generally report higher feelings of happiness. Maybe that’s because of the focus they cultivate in their daily meditation. In my experience, an hour of aviation can achieve the same result.
3. “Grab hold of those controls and command that aircraft!” Like many student pilots, I was timid with the controls at first. It can be intimidating to operate a complex machine in an environment that can harm you in many ways. Yet the airplane is designed to respond to our control inputs. We can bend it to our will. Many times in my life, when I was called to take action in a stressful environment, Iris’s exhortation to take command–to seize the day–returned to my consciousness. I expect that those words will stay with me, and motivate me, for the rest of my life.
Thanks for reading, and for helping us all to remember Iris Critchell.
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