VIDEO – Embry-Riddle Celebrates its History – https://youtu.be/Iy8j59l-HjQ
Formerly a barnstormer and flying instructor for stunt pilots, John Paul Riddle was a pioneer in aviation history taking the controls only 17 years after the Wright brothers’ first flight. His career in aviation had taken him from the Embry-Riddle Flying School in 1926, winning the first Federal air mail contracts, to globe-trotting with Howard Hughes and the Prince of Wales.
John Paul Riddle – Pikeville February 22, 1929
In 1934 he opened a charter seaplane service in Miami and in WW2 operated three schools in Florida and one in Tennessee for US and UK pilots. His role in setting up the Riddle-McKay Aero College for 5BFTS at Clewiston, Florida, is well documented. His vision, beyond the war, was to set up an Aeronautical College and the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University at Daytona Beach is the fruition of that idea.
Supplementary Biographical Detail:
Born in 1901 at Pikeville, Kentucky, John Paul Riddle attended Pikeville College and graduated in 1920. When he left college he married Adele Goeser.
John Paul Riddle Track Days Pikeville College -center
From 1920-22 he served in the US Army Air Service and was sent to the mechanics’ school at Kelly Feld, San Antonio. From there he went on to Chanute Field, Illinois and then to flying school at Carlstrom Field. His career in aviation next took him to Post Field, Lawton, Oklahoma, where he learned the value of sound aircraft construction. On leaving the USAAS he became a barnstormer. Flying a $250 Jenny he would give rides to passengers for a few dollars across a dozen states.
July 4, 1923 John Paul Riddle pulled off a stunt by flying under Middle Bridge in Pikeville.
John Paul Riddle
The Pike County NewJuly 11, 1924
Lieutenant Riddle avoids death in Plane Accident
Lieutenant John Paul Riddle, aviator, of this place, who is doing commercial flying with the Burgess Flying Co., of Ashland, was in a wreck with a passenger at Portsmouth, O., Sunday. They had made a successful flight with a few stunts thrown in and were about to land near the riverbank when pilot Riddle saw the people crowding towards the contemplated place of landing. Realizing that if he did not change his plans possibly many would be killed or injured, he at once shifted towards the river and then occurred what is known as a motor or power spin which would have been overcome had sufficient distance been between the plane and the water.
As it was, they plunged into the river about a hundred feet from shore. Riddle, realizing their danger unbuckled his safety belt and that of his passenger and when both were in the water Riddle held his passenger’s head above the water until they were rescued. They were rushed to the hospital where a deep gash over the forehead and other minor bruises were dressed on Riddle while the passenger suffered a number of body bruises.
The plane will have to be overhauled before it will again be fit for service. The wounded were re-leased. from the hospital Monday evening and Mr. Riddle came home Tuesday about dark, having flown from Ashland.
Transcribed by: Pike County Historical Society
John Paul Riddle
The Pike County News November 14, 1924
Lieutenant Riddle in Ford Air Tour
Pikeville can claim more than a passing interest in the Ford reliability tour in which thirteen planes are participating, by the presence of Lieut. John Paul Riddle, who is a pilot of one of the planes in the squadron. Lieut. Riddle is a Pikeville man. He saw service in the aviation department during the war and was commissioned at that time. Lieutenant Riddle has many friends in this city who will follow his exploits in the Ford tour with interest. Lieut. Riddle is piloting the Crosley Radio Corporation plane in the Ford tour, taking as passengers Powell Crosley, Jr., and Harry E. Sherwin, general sales manager of the Crosley Corporation. He is well in the lead of the thirteen planes on the tour but was hampered by some bad luck when he made a forced landing in Massachusetts, when he ran into a dense fog. The landing was a safe one despite the hazards involved.
Transcribed by: Pike County Historical Society
In 1925 J. P Riddle formed the Embry-Riddle Company at Lunken Airport, Cincinnati with T. Higbee Embry. They had met while J.P.Riddle was barnstorming and had landed in a polo field. Embry was offered a ride and a friendship was formed.
As general manager, Riddle was responsible for selling Waco Aircraft. In 1926 the company opened the Embry-Riddle Flying School. The school’s early pilots were trained for America’s first package express business and in 1927 the school won one of the first Federal air mail contracts. This in turn became part of AVCO, the Aviation Corporation of Delaware, later known as American Airlines. The flying school was a successful venture and the company became known as Embry-Riddle Aviation Corporation.
In 1934, with his partnership with Embry now dissolved, Riddle opened a charter seaplane service in Miami and a new flight school at Miami Municipal Airport.
In 1939 Riddle decided to go into the business of training pilots and, now living in Florida, he teamed up with John G Mackay. Together they re-established the Embry–Riddle School of Aviation and provided training under the Civilian Pilot Training Program. They went on to form the Riddle Aeronautical Institute at Carlstrom Field to train pilots for the USAAC in 1941 and, in a separate division, provided technical training in maintenance and metal work.
With the introduction of training for RAF pilots, owing to the Lend Lease Scheme, Riddle built and set up the 5 British Flying Training School at Clewiston, Florida, named Riddle Field.
In 1944 McKay purchased Riddle’s share of Embry-Riddle and the end of the war, in 1945, brought an end to the BFTS scheme.
WWII Registration Card
In 1939 Riddle had also set up the J.P. Riddle Company which contracted five flying schools to the US and British governments.
1942
1944
Consequently a Brazilian flying school was set up in 1943 and in 1945 the company relocated American transport instructors to Brazil. This was operated by Riddle Airlines, an air cargo carrier which operated from Miami.
Image credited to Ancestry
John Paul Riddle retired in the 1960’s and died on 6th April 1989 at Coral Gables, Florida. He is remembered by a marker along with his RAF cadets at Oak Ridge Cemetery, Arcadia, Florida.
Credit: Anne Huges, June 22, 2016 https://www.americanairmuseum.com/person/241241
Image credited to Ancestry
