Iris C. Critchell
Iris C. Critchell (née Cummings) wanted to be a pilot after her father took her to see the acrobatic flying of “The Three Musketeers” in 1928.
Her mother helped her find an academic path toward being a pilot: a college degree in math and science. During her first year at University of Southern California (USC), Critchell paid out of pocket for her flying lessons. Just before her first solo flight, the Civilian Pilot Training (CPT) courses started at USC. Critchell was the only woman admitted into its first class of 50. She excelled to such a degree that she became one of only a handful of women in the country to go on to the second year of CPT, aerobatics, followed by a third and a fourth year of training. After she graduated from USC, she was an instructor, for the CPT program, and Navy pilot cadets.
It was during this time that Nancy Love formed the WAFS; Critchell joined as soon as she was able. The women had restrictions, only flying over US territory, ferrying Basic Trainers (BT’s), but the male pilots were supportive of her as she continued to push herself and become proficient at flying larger and larger planes. She eventually trained on all the pursuit models.
After the war, Critchell was asked by USC to develop a curriculum for an aeronautical pilot and engineering program.
Iris C. Critchell Collection(AFC/2001/001/30762)
Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
