Attention Potential Riddle Students - Got questions?

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)
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. 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...)
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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.)
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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).
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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
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Thanks for the ear and always hope it is helpful.

Marilyn
flyn_ace_99@yahoo.com
 
Ok, no questions or even statements? Did I scare all of you that bad?

I know a lot about the school. Both good and bad. I have worked with in varrious parts of the campus and can provide a lot of information. I know about classes, Housing, Student Employment, Summer Programs, and the list goes on...

I know my experience was less than what a model Riddler goes through, but Riddle life (the academic portion) is actually pretty good and I Highly recommend it. The PRC campus is small, but that makes the class sizes small and gives you the chance to bond with your fellow students and get to know your teachers. And believe me, the teachers WANT to know you. I have a teacher who knows me, and I have never been in one of his classes.

Anway, feel free to reply or something... I am more than happy to "spew forth copious information" (hehe... courtesy of Professor John Johnson).

Thanks!

Marilyn
 
Dude he rocks, probably one of the best teachers I have had...Does he still have the Festiva and the porsche?
 
Good ole' Jonny eh? Had me two classes with him. His grading scale is scary, but I ended up with two A's just because he is so good at getting his points across. There is a method to his madness, rest assured. The non-PC jokes keep you listening!
 
Very True... He is an excelent Teacher... Although the grading scale can be a little tough, I would have to agree with the explanation that Mike Polay gave to our Intro to Safety class.... (essentially... do you really want a pilot who had just kindof passed his course in what ever? Probably not. 75% is just not a passing grade in the real world...if you wanna A, you sure as hell had better earn it!) and I sure as hell did.

I think it's a good thing to raise the bar on student's grades, but only if you have the teaching to make it possible... John Johnson does just that.

I also think having the Powerpoint Presentations and class notes ahead of time is a great help for keeping track of topics and taking notes. It is extremely difficult when JJ is "Spewing" all this technical information and you don't know what is important and what isn't. I took notes on EVERYTHING!!! (Thinking back, I could have made a hell-of-a-lotta money selling my notes.... ehh... make 'em work for the grade!)

HAHA...

In a way, I will miss a lot about ER... the classes ofcourse...

Marilyn
 
You aren't alone. Im gonna miss the great education myself. I mean, I know that we both have an excellent knowledge base from ERAU, but I am really going to miss having it constantly reinforced. Oh well, guess I will just have to hit the books.
 
I went to ERAU-PRC... Started off in Aero Engineering (and AFROTC). After Sophmore year I dropped AFROTC and changed majors to Aero Science. Completed the rest of Aero Science during my Junior and Senior years as well as 100% of my flight Training from hour #1 through CFI/I/ME (just over 250 hours).

There are good and bad stories out there about Riddle. A lot of it is what you make of it. Grab the bull by the horns and make it do what you want.
 
Sorry Marilyn I have to disagree with you on riddles flight program. I came here in 2000 and will be finished this december. You are right about riddles flight program being very intense and sorta taking the fun out of it. However, I strongly feel it is worth it in the long run, the training here is the best around. I had my private before i came here and have flown with alot of other instructors and students outside of riddle, so its not like im saying this without any other experience. Trust me im just like many others and have had my problems with getting instructors or dealing with training mangers and yeah it does suck. But you just have to keep a good attitude and do what is expected of you and you shouldnt have any problems.

Ok, i have to get on the subject about airspace studies (come here for your degree, but not flying with riddle). I think this is the dumbest thing you could do (nothing personal, just my opinion), the classes arent that good, the majority of all the things i have learned at this school have been from flying here. I think that if you come here to fly you should fly, otherwise you are wasting your money. I couldnt imagine paying all that money and then training elsewhere. Our flight training is what makes our school stand out from the rest.

Just had to put my two sense in on this. I am curious to see who you did those eval flights with, pm me if you want. Otherwise, good luck with flying.
 
I was going to take ERAU online classes to earn my bachelor. I like the credits given for earning your ratings! I'm sorry you had such bad instructors but even with that you didn't get the manuvers or flight planning down? Oh well let me know in a pm what went wrong
 
Pkloop just out of curiosity...How many credits did you get for your previouse flight experience and where are you at in your training? I am at riddle (Daytona) and am thinking about doing online classes and changing to Professional Aeronautics Degree. Are you doing the Pro Aero? Thanks

Nate
 
I started at riddle at the exact same time and had nearly the exact same experience as marilyn, except i left the school altogether. If you want to see something funny, check out a recent college statistics guide:

This past year's freshman class: 1,389 applied, 1,084 admitted, 309 enrolled!

This means that, from now on, they will be accepting any dumbass who applies just to pay the bills. Years of the "riddle runaround" has built a tidal wave of bad karma for these people.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I started at riddle at the exact same time and had nearly the exact same experience as marilyn, except i left the school altogether. If you want to see something funny, check out a recent college statistics guide:

This past year's freshman class: 1,389 applied, 1,084 admitted, 309 enrolled!

This means that, from now on, they will be accepting any dumbass who applies just to pay the bills. Years of the "riddle runaround" has built a tidal wave of bad karma for these people.

[/ QUOTE ]

Seems the Riddle runaround has come full circle to bite them in the a$$.

'Bout time.
 
I'll say it again... and again...

Congrats to those who made it through the flight program. Kudos to you. Flying is dificult, but shouldn't be as dificult as ER makes it out to be.

I am currently getting my raitings at ATP in Jacksonville and can say that Riddle's flight program isn't all that Riddle says it is. As of right now I have gone much further in flight than I ever thought I could have before. As far as time wise? I don't see taking 4+ years to get through a Commercial Pilots License as being so great. I will be through my MEI in 5-6 MONTHS, and I will have paid a lot less to boot. By the way, my certificates are no different than those that people get at ER - they look the same and allow me the same privaledges. After flying elsewhere, I have found I am a better organize and more proficient pilot. I also have much more fun than I had ever had at ER.

Those who don't like the academics for one reason or another, ask yourself if you are there to learn as much about your career as you can so that you can be the best and most knowlagable pilot you can be? or are you there just to get the bare minimum to get you your certificates. The reason I think the ER Academics is great is that they teach you more so that you are more intelegent that JOE PILOT who just came off the flight line with a degree in Underwater Basket Weaving. Riddle flight line is not going to teach you the in and outs of Avionics, Turbine Engines, or Large AC Systems and Componets, etc. I have learned that the industry doesn't really care where your Flight Training comes from, but knowing that you got your Education at Embry-Riddle lets the airline know that you should know a little more about the airplanes in which the fly than Mr. Joe Pilot.

I don't know how much pull even an ER degree has in the airline anymore. From what I have heard, not much, but it could possibly still be more of a pull than not having one. Like I said... I DON'T KNOW

Everything I post is from personal observations and experiences. Take what you will and I hope everyone learns from it. Once again... pardon the length of the post... I usually have lots to say on this subject.

Good Luck out there!

Best of Luck to everyone.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Seems the Riddle runaround has come full circle to bite them in the a$$.

'Bout time.

[/ QUOTE ]

Damn right
 
Hey everyone, here is an update on my flight experience.

I enrolled at ATP in Jacksonville on Jan 5th to finish my flight training. I got my Private Pilot License on Feb. 10th (something ERAU Flight line officials told me I couldn't do) and then flew and IFR training flight to Dallas the next day... in ACTUAL IFR. (That's something Riddlers rarely see). My instructor was very impressed with my instrument abilities and professionalism on the radios. She said I learn quickly (interesting for some one who "can't be taught").

I am now working on my Multi Private and have a check ride next week. I should be finished through my MEI by the end of June at the latest (which is about 5-6 months of training, much quicker and pretty darn intense!)

Anyway... just wanted to update curious people on whether or not Riddle was right about me not being able to be a pilot.

Thanks everyone for thier support and best wishes.

Marilyn
 
First of all, congrats on your flying accomplishments.

Now, I'm going to give the other side of the same coin. I'm enrolled in the Riddle flight program (though not for much longer), and you're right: I barely saw any actual instrument when I was doing instrument training. But that's not really the point. ERAU can't help the fact that there are rarely clouds low or warm enough out here to give students actual experience. That's up to you, as an instrument rated pilot, to get for yourself. I happen to think Riddle did a great job preparing me to shoot off into the clouds based upon what they had to work with.

Since then, I've felt very confident in actual instrument, even under stressful and tricky conditions. I happen to know peers that feel the same way after going through the same training.

I'm sorry you had a bad experience, but please don't go Riddle-bashing when a lot of us have been through all or most of the training and can actually attest (or detest) to ERAU's methods.
 
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I am currently getting my ratings at ATP in Jacksonville and can say that Riddle's flight program isn't all that Riddle says it is. As of right now I have gone much further in flight than I ever thought I could have before. As far as time wise? I don't see taking 4+ years to get through a Commercial Pilots License as being so great. I will be through my MEI in 5-6 MONTHS, and I will have paid a lot less to boot. By the way, my certificates are no different than those that people get at ER - they look the same and allow me the same priviledges.

[/ QUOTE ]

Great point. I saw here that most grads have their CFI with <400TT when they graduate. That means another 1-2 years of a starving CFI job or the like after graduation. How ya gonna pay off ER student loans on that kind of money?

I did their CCE Pro Aero program and found it much less costly. You can still get the "Big Name" degree, but for far less as you flight train elsewhere.
 
The ER flight program does have its positive and negative points for sure. ER provides a solid aerospace education, and for those interested in bridging the gap between college and an airline job the litany of internships offered is outstanding for those students who take advantage of the opportunity.

As for the Daytona campus, the most depressing thing is the lack of women
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