flyn_ace_99
New Member
Well, here you have it... I have been promissing to write the whole story of my Riddle experience, pardon the length... but it has been a long ride...
As and up and coming graduate, I will give you my take on Riddle. I started in the Fall of 1999 spoon fed all the "promises" of the "best flight education in the world". I am the first in my family to go to college, and not knowing much about the internet or jetcareers really made it easy to believe that I was gonna get just what they were saying. ( Living in Podunk, AZ you tend to believe that every person in an honest person and will live up to thier word)
Anyway... I soon realized that doing flight, ROTC and 15ish credits was not as easy as the admissions people made it sound and soon dropped ROTC. I also went through a period of instructor changes and finally hit a point where my learning curve leveled off and there was no choice but to start all over again or don't start at all. I recieved less than encouraging words from my Training Manager ( who also happend to suggest that I could not fly because I was a girl, ofcourse that wasn't his wording, he was just implying)
. And no, I'm not the type of person who would scream "sexual harrassment" at the drop of a hat.
At the end of the year I signed on to start the FA-110 (PPL course) again and this time managed to recieve and instructor with whom I was comfortable and related well with. Alison knew that the first thing I needed to do was to relax, otherwise trying to learn is pointless. You see, Riddle's flight line has a tendancy to up the pressure and stress-level of every one of thier pilots to where flying is no longer fun. Alison's goal was to make sure I enjoyed what i was doing. Thanks to Alison, I did solo... much to the suprise of many at the flight line.
As most of you know, flying after 12pm in AZ is not pleasant actually can be very sickening. So for learning sake, I requested flight times between 6am-10am. Unfortunatly I found that 2 students had precidence over every paying student on campus (why you ask? Because thier dad was going to give Riddle money... and lots of it) And since these student's require the best of everything, of course they needed the best instructor, mine. They also flew during my flight time. It also seemed kindof funny that they could get through thier first stage in 1 week when normal Riddle students can take over a month... (this just shows the priorities I have seen). I am not spouting off rumors, as I worked for the program that brough the students to stay with us.
Anyway... with the onset of Fall classes and 2 jobs, I realzied that my stress factor was up again. ( I am completely aware that part of the reason I didn't finish is because of my own workload... but that isn't everything...) Upon having difficulty with the with flying I was sent up on an "Eval Flight" with another instructor. I had originally been scheduled with one instructor, but was switched to another at the last minute due to the other having and non work related accident. The new instructor had a very negative attitude toward me from the start. Obviously the flight didn't go well... we fought through the entire lesson. Although I expected help and guidance on my problems, I was ridiculed by the instructor. My instructor appoligized and said she would have never sent me up with that paticular instructor (he obviously had a reputation for things not going well.)
I was given 2 more flights to improve or I would be dropped from the program (great... more stress).
My instructor... the wonderful person she is, fought for more sim and flight time to make me proficient. I had fixed everything that was wrong before, but now was having problems understanding flight planning.
(keep in mind i had just entered into a Basic Navigation course taught by a United A-320, fresh off the line... who had not done a VFR nav log in 20+ years... she was taking another teachers class...)
When it came for my next eval flight, I had managed to be given the worst flight instructor of them all. If I thought the eval instructor I had before was bad... little did I know I was about to meet Satan himself. (this instructor has a reputation for making the girls cry and most of the students he meets quit.)
After 15 minutes in the oral room, I was confused with my flight planing and didn't know what to do. At this point I was given an option. "You can quit now and go home, or you can fail with me on the flight tomorrow, it's your choice." Tell me is that something you would say to your student? This man wasn't just honest, but he was brutal. I had never felt so helpless in my entire life.
At that point I quit the flight program at Embry Riddle and decided to continue at another school once I graduate. Oh by the way... after attended Riddle's flight program I am at 85 flight hours with $10,000 spent just there, and NO PRIVATE PILOT LICENSE. Like I said, I don't blame it completely on the flight line, but I also can't say it was all my fault either.
Most of the students who start thier PPL there will not finish thier commercial license by the time the graduate in 4-5 years.
I will give the academic departments the best remarks though. I enjoyed what I had learned and value my minors in Aviation Safety, Aviation Weather, and Aeronautical Science. The professors love what they do and do it well. (Ask me sometime about my professors, boy do I have stories).
My suggestions??? If you are thinking about going here... do... but just for the academics. Honestly conciter if the price is something you want to pay. If not... look elsewhere. I don't know for sure if the price is worth it, I suppose I will find out. But my bottom line is that the Flight Line at Embry Riddle is by far the worst experience I had ever had. If you ask the students, they will tell you what they think... don't ask the ones you find on the website, ER will not let anyone say anything bad about them on the website. Jetcareers has been the best place to find people who go there. When and If you visit the campus... don't ask the admissions students what they think... they are being paid to say nice things. Take a break and ask the people walking around campus... they aren't being paid for anything.
The most successful thing you could do to graduate with an Aeronautical Scienct degree is to come in with your commercial, you will get the flight credits. That way you don't have to deal with the flight line and you are automatically the favorite of the Embry Riddle family.
I had switched majors to the Aerospace Studies degree (which can be the same thing as the AS degree, but you design it with the minors you choose). We ASP are the Black Sheep of the Campus... it seems many of the services, like the Career Center, just don't see you as being important and tend to loose your stuff. (if you want me to give you more evidence of this, ask... I won't lengthen this out any more.)
Anyway... this is my $10,000 worth... I congradulate those who have done well at both flight and the academics, it is very difficult. My best wishes to everyone.
I really wanna thank Jetcarreers for all thier help. I wished I had understood the internet enough to find Jetcareers before I got to Riddle (another drawback to living in Podunk, AZ). I have learned the value of other people's opinion on where they are, thier experience can proove valuable in making decisions. THANKS DOUG
Thanks for the ear and always hope it is helpful.
Marilyn
flyn_ace_99@yahoo.com
As and up and coming graduate, I will give you my take on Riddle. I started in the Fall of 1999 spoon fed all the "promises" of the "best flight education in the world". I am the first in my family to go to college, and not knowing much about the internet or jetcareers really made it easy to believe that I was gonna get just what they were saying. ( Living in Podunk, AZ you tend to believe that every person in an honest person and will live up to thier word)
Anyway... I soon realized that doing flight, ROTC and 15ish credits was not as easy as the admissions people made it sound and soon dropped ROTC. I also went through a period of instructor changes and finally hit a point where my learning curve leveled off and there was no choice but to start all over again or don't start at all. I recieved less than encouraging words from my Training Manager ( who also happend to suggest that I could not fly because I was a girl, ofcourse that wasn't his wording, he was just implying)
At the end of the year I signed on to start the FA-110 (PPL course) again and this time managed to recieve and instructor with whom I was comfortable and related well with. Alison knew that the first thing I needed to do was to relax, otherwise trying to learn is pointless. You see, Riddle's flight line has a tendancy to up the pressure and stress-level of every one of thier pilots to where flying is no longer fun. Alison's goal was to make sure I enjoyed what i was doing. Thanks to Alison, I did solo... much to the suprise of many at the flight line.
As most of you know, flying after 12pm in AZ is not pleasant actually can be very sickening. So for learning sake, I requested flight times between 6am-10am. Unfortunatly I found that 2 students had precidence over every paying student on campus (why you ask? Because thier dad was going to give Riddle money... and lots of it) And since these student's require the best of everything, of course they needed the best instructor, mine. They also flew during my flight time. It also seemed kindof funny that they could get through thier first stage in 1 week when normal Riddle students can take over a month... (this just shows the priorities I have seen). I am not spouting off rumors, as I worked for the program that brough the students to stay with us.
Anyway... with the onset of Fall classes and 2 jobs, I realzied that my stress factor was up again. ( I am completely aware that part of the reason I didn't finish is because of my own workload... but that isn't everything...) Upon having difficulty with the with flying I was sent up on an "Eval Flight" with another instructor. I had originally been scheduled with one instructor, but was switched to another at the last minute due to the other having and non work related accident. The new instructor had a very negative attitude toward me from the start. Obviously the flight didn't go well... we fought through the entire lesson. Although I expected help and guidance on my problems, I was ridiculed by the instructor. My instructor appoligized and said she would have never sent me up with that paticular instructor (he obviously had a reputation for things not going well.)
I was given 2 more flights to improve or I would be dropped from the program (great... more stress).
My instructor... the wonderful person she is, fought for more sim and flight time to make me proficient. I had fixed everything that was wrong before, but now was having problems understanding flight planning.
(keep in mind i had just entered into a Basic Navigation course taught by a United A-320, fresh off the line... who had not done a VFR nav log in 20+ years... she was taking another teachers class...)
When it came for my next eval flight, I had managed to be given the worst flight instructor of them all. If I thought the eval instructor I had before was bad... little did I know I was about to meet Satan himself. (this instructor has a reputation for making the girls cry and most of the students he meets quit.)
At that point I quit the flight program at Embry Riddle and decided to continue at another school once I graduate. Oh by the way... after attended Riddle's flight program I am at 85 flight hours with $10,000 spent just there, and NO PRIVATE PILOT LICENSE. Like I said, I don't blame it completely on the flight line, but I also can't say it was all my fault either.
Most of the students who start thier PPL there will not finish thier commercial license by the time the graduate in 4-5 years.
I will give the academic departments the best remarks though. I enjoyed what I had learned and value my minors in Aviation Safety, Aviation Weather, and Aeronautical Science. The professors love what they do and do it well. (Ask me sometime about my professors, boy do I have stories).
My suggestions??? If you are thinking about going here... do... but just for the academics. Honestly conciter if the price is something you want to pay. If not... look elsewhere. I don't know for sure if the price is worth it, I suppose I will find out. But my bottom line is that the Flight Line at Embry Riddle is by far the worst experience I had ever had. If you ask the students, they will tell you what they think... don't ask the ones you find on the website, ER will not let anyone say anything bad about them on the website. Jetcareers has been the best place to find people who go there. When and If you visit the campus... don't ask the admissions students what they think... they are being paid to say nice things. Take a break and ask the people walking around campus... they aren't being paid for anything.
The most successful thing you could do to graduate with an Aeronautical Scienct degree is to come in with your commercial, you will get the flight credits. That way you don't have to deal with the flight line and you are automatically the favorite of the Embry Riddle family.
I had switched majors to the Aerospace Studies degree (which can be the same thing as the AS degree, but you design it with the minors you choose). We ASP are the Black Sheep of the Campus... it seems many of the services, like the Career Center, just don't see you as being important and tend to loose your stuff. (if you want me to give you more evidence of this, ask... I won't lengthen this out any more.)
Anyway... this is my $10,000 worth... I congradulate those who have done well at both flight and the academics, it is very difficult. My best wishes to everyone.
I really wanna thank Jetcarreers for all thier help. I wished I had understood the internet enough to find Jetcareers before I got to Riddle (another drawback to living in Podunk, AZ). I have learned the value of other people's opinion on where they are, thier experience can proove valuable in making decisions. THANKS DOUG
Thanks for the ear and always hope it is helpful.
Marilyn
flyn_ace_99@yahoo.com
