That's a fair point about the writer's needs, and perhaps I could have phrased my reply a bit better.
There is no question that Norman Osborn is one of the premier Spider-Villains. He is very clearly in that league, and when he's in his Goblin gear, he can give Spiderman a heck of a battle.
But he's not in his Goblin gear. He's in a highly advanced piece of technology that isn't his. If you put me behind the wheel of a Corvette, I'll be able to drive faster than I can in my Subaru wagon... but I can drive my Subaru *better*. If you take a NASCAR driver and you put them in a Formula 1 car, they're still a professional racecar driver... they just won't necessarily win as many races. Norman is without his cool flying glider thing, without his pumpkin bombs, and shooting laser beams from his hands instead of from under his feet- he does have practice in the suit, and he is a very dangerous fellow, but I have no trouble believing that Spidey could beat the heck out of him in the Iron Patriot suit. Particularly in an aerial battle.