Dec. 21, 1920–Jan. 24, 2025
Student
I am a member of the first class of the Bates foundation. The class took dedication for 3 semesters +guided by a teacher with marvelous patience. From the advantage of age, I am impressed by the patience Mrs. C had when leading 7 – 10 19 to 20 year old youths during our mistakes, successes and irrelevant flights of fancy.
Student, Friend, and Admirer
It’s with mixed emotions that I bid Iris (aka Mrs. Critchell, Mrs. C, Petunia, Rose…) a smooth flight west. After 104 years of being the Pilot (clearly) In Command, she deserved to make her last Earthbound take off while still at the controls.
Mrs. C once told me that the Bates Aeronautics Program accepted some students based on what the selection committee anticipated they could do for the program, and some based on what the program could do for them. She only smiled (and never revealed) when I inquired about the reason I was admitted. I’d like to think there was a bit of the former but am certain there was a whole lot of the latter, and for that I will always be grateful. Iris had more faith in me, and in me accomplishing great things, than I could ever imagine for myself. While I always appreciated and respected her as my instructor, and know that she sits on my shoulder every time I fly, what I truly valued the past 40 years has been her ongoing friendship and true interest and fascination in what I’ve done, in my family, and in my ongoing experiences whether related to flight or not. To have someone as accomplished as she was revel in my relatively minor victories was empowering.
Iris’s tales were unparalleled but always conveyed modestly. About swimming, she recalled navigating the surf off of Redondo Beach and, during the summers, the chilly waters off of Zephyr Cove in Lake Tahoe, all under the tutelage of her father, that ultimately led to her 4-year dominance of breaststroke in the US. When re-living her experiences in flight, one of my favorites was watching her reenact the slithering maneuver she was taught to safely bail out of a P-51 Mustang should it overheat. Priceless. Then there was the time she revealed that not all the planes that came off the production line had been test flown before they were turned over to her to fly across the country. Yikes. You can bet she did a solid preflight inspection and can understand why she drilled into us the importance of this.
I recall Critch (Mr. Howard Critchell) once telling me how it was that he met his bride. With his normal wry sense of humor, he pointed out (surely much more eloquently than I will relay here) that his wartime assignment was teaching new recruits how to navigate which involved flying slow planes around the middle of the country until those recruits were good and lost then asking them to get him home in time for dinner. By contrast, Iris’ assignment was to transport the military’s latest and greatest planes across the country at much higher speeds and altitudes. He then asked rhetorically, “Who do YOU think drove our relationship?”
Whether it was at age 80 running down the teenager who tried to snatch her purse from the hangar, or still flying her Cessna and swimming laps at 103, or looking daily at airplane tracking websites to see which of her Bates alums were going interesting places (and doing a good job maintaining heading and altitude along the way), Iris just never slowed down. Though the duration of her time on this Earth surely was outstanding, it’s what she did with every day, and the amount of skill, knowledge, and confidence that she instilled in people like me that I will never forget.
Fair winds, Iris.
Student in Bates Program
I was in the Bates program in 1970 – 1972 with Iris as my flight instructor.
I remember that in early conversations she talked about the geography in and around my hometown of Carlsbad, New Mexico. She told me about the location of various salt beds in relation to Carlsbad, as well as other features of the area. It was only later, after I learned a little more of Iris’ history, that I realized that she had been drawing upon past memories of 25 years or more of preparing for and flying the southern route to ferry war planes from the west coast to the east coast during WWII.
When I returned from a stint in the Peace Corps in 1974, I communicated with Iris that I had intentions to get back into flying, but had failed the FAA medical examination. She wrote back to me that she had contacted the FAA medical examiner that had performed the student flight medicals to ask if there was anything in his record of my initial examination that might have foreshadowed the reason for my failing the renewal exam. She showed, not only a concern for my situation, but also a willingness to provide help and input in ways that I had not imagined.
I was in the 4th Bates class in 1965, She and Critch gave me the gift of flight, done the Bates way.
Iris and Howard Critchell and the Bates experience had life changing on hundreds of us. This was what Isabelle Bates had in mind when she provided the initial funding. My first flight was November 30th, 1965 in my sophomore year. It was 18 minutes with Critch and two others from El Monte AP to Brackett in N8396Xray. The thrill of doing the takeoff with Critch talking me through it was incredible. Six months later I was the sacrificial lamb sent to the FAA for my flight test. Looking back on it, I marvel at their ability to see into the heart and mind of each of us. They knew when to push and when to handle with care. They made us special and kept us humble at the same time. Being roasted at the annual Herman Glutz gathering was funny and embarrassing. Iris flew P-51s during WWII. Critch was a music major turned B-24 pilot. Iris was this incredible fount of aviation knowledge. She lived it constantly. I recall one evening returning from a training flight at Brackett. Iris was at the wheel driving and explaining something aeronautical. I realized that she was unconsciously driving with the dashed lane divider markings centered on her virtual nose wheel.
We stayed in touch over the years. During a visit to their home in 1984 I found old Olympics memorabilia spread out on a coffee table. What’s this I asked, to which Iris said, “Oh, that’s something you don’t know about me. I was in the 1936 Olympics” as I looked at a program autographed by Jesse Owens. At 19 and 20 years old, we had no idea how truly special these people were, nor did we realize at the time that we were being imprinted for life by these talented, humble people who took us into their home and spent precious time with us. All of the Bates alumni eventually realized that the Critchells were so special that we would not be able to replace them, when it came time for them to step back from actively running the full flight program.
I am grateful that Iris was able to write “The Privilege of flight”, which gives us more insight to her life. Late in his time, I enjoyed visiting with Critch, of failing eyesight, as he repaired violins in his backyard workshop. I do miss Iris and Critch and will be forever grateful for their gifts.
Kim Vandiver ’68, CFI-Gliders.
Fan and fellow aviatrix
I met Iris many years ago as a budding student pilot and heard her speak repeatedly before local pilots groups. She was an inspiration; it was a privilege to hear her. Iris was self effacing and didn’t talk much about her incredible achievements. but she didn’t need to–we know who she was and all that she did. Please let us know if HMC will be hosting a public memorial honoring this great woman and great American.
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