Qualla: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University: Introduction

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Embry-Riddle Prescott, CC0. John F. Kennedy learned to fly here. That detail alone would secure Embry-Riddle a place in aviation lore, but the university's story runs deeper than any single famous alumnus. Founded at Lunken Field in Cincinnati in 1926 by T. Higbee Embry and John Paul Riddle, the school began modestly: a handful of students learning to pilot biplanes and wrench on radial engines. It closed during the Depression, reopened in Miami in 1939 just as war loomed, and grew so fast training military pilots that it took over an entire hotel. Today, from its main campus adjacent to Daytona Beach International Airport, Embry-Riddle operates the largest accredited university system in the world dedicated to aviation and aerospace, enrolling over 32,000 students across two residential campuses and more than 130 locations worldwide.

Image: Embry-Riddle Prescott | CC0

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University: Born in a Barnstorming Era

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Embry-Riddle Prescott, CC0. The 1920s were aviation's wild youth. Charles Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic in 1927, and suddenly every young American wanted wings. Embry and Riddle sensed the moment. Their Cincinnati school trained both pilots and mechanics, understanding that aviation needed hands on engines...

Image: Embry-Riddle Prescott | CC0

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University: Cessnas on the Ramp

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Embry-Riddle Prescott, CC0. The Daytona Beach campus, Embry-Riddle's academic headquarters since 1965, is built for one purpose: making people fly. Adjacent to Daytona Beach International Airport, the campus connects directly to a university-owned aircraft ramp where 88 Cessna 172 Skyhawks and 14 Diamond DA...

Image: Embry-Riddle Prescott | CC0

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University: Desert Wings in Prescott

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Embry-Riddle Prescott, CC0. In 1978, Embry-Riddle opened a second residential campus in Prescott, Arizona, set among western terrain north of Phoenix. The flight training center operates from Ernest A. Love Field. Facilities include a wind tunnel lab with one supersonic and four subsonic tunnels, an acciden...

Image: Embry-Riddle Prescott | CC0

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University: A Campus Without Borders

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Embry-Riddle Prescott, CC0. Beyond Daytona Beach and Prescott, Embry-Riddle's Worldwide campus network reaches more than 22,000 students through over 130 locations, including more than 100 on U.S. military bases. Established in 1970, the network extends to Singapore, where the university's largest internati...

Image: Embry-Riddle Prescott | CC0

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University: Runway Threshold in View

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Embry-Riddle Prescott, CC0. From the air, the Daytona Beach campus is unmistakable: a cluster of academic buildings pressed against the airport boundary, with rows of white Cessnas gleaming on the ramp. The nearby Daytona International Speedway dominates the landscape to the west. In 2014, Embry-Riddle beca...

Image: Embry-Riddle Prescott | CC0