Riddle is very expensive. I trained there in the 70s but my dad paid the bill. (I think he just wanted me to go somewhere.....anywhere.)
I already had my private ticket when I got there and the time was spent flying about two hours a day. I spent about 4 hours each day in a classroom There was a jet engine lab and I learned the basics. Suck, squeeze, bang, blow.
I rode in the back of a 172 for many hours also as this is considered valuable observer time. We would fly out over the ocean there at Daytona and do full power departure stalls left and right at about 4000 feet. If you sit in the back of a 172 a full power departure stall looks as if you are going nearly vertical. I loved it. I was 19 years old. The Riddle instructor in the right seat was about 40. I remember thinking..... why is this guy flying a 172? The bonus here was that when it came time to fly your left seat training flights some poor guy was always riding as an observer. I always enjoyed having that third guy. I guess the higher ups at Riddle knew what they were doing.
On week ends I got to fly A GAT single engine instrument simulator and I had some problems with it. Sure enough I was a licensed private pilot at the time but after flying around blind in that sim I realized I really did not know that much about basic VOR work. And that was all we were doing in the GAT because I was a long way from getting my instrument ticket. What an eye opener! I really got sharp on this after a few hours. An amazing training tool.
I had some great instructors at Riddle. Steve Price was a good one and he made me narrate on how to do a Chandelle as if quoting from the Kershner manual.
Anyway, I left Riddle and got my CFI and flew about three years as a CFI and one of my students was the VP of Personnel for South Cental Bell. He liked me. He hired me. I still work there..
Sorry for the long post but the topic on Riddle got me going.
Scott Williams
WWA 1404
Senior Command Captain KBOS
Commercial ASMEL Instrument
CFI #1876545