Cessna delivers first new Skyhawk under multi-year agreement with Epic Flight Academy
LAKELAND, Fla. (April 5, 2016) – Cessna Aircraft Company, a subsidiary of Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, today delivered a new Cessna Skyhawk 172 as part of an agreement recently signed with Epic Flight Academy.
The multi-year agreement includes initial purchase of two new Skyhawk aircraft, product support, training and Epic’s commitment to purchase training aircraft solely from Textron Aviation to update its flight training fleet.
Epic Flight Academy in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, currently operates 17 Skyhawks with Garmin G1000 avionics as the school’s primary flight trainer. “Epic Flight Academy operates one of the leading flight training schools in the U.S. and we are excited to join efforts in energizing pilot training and providing state-of-the art aircraft and resources to student pilots,” said Doug May, vice president, Piston Aircraft. “Epic’s fleet replacement plan supports their commitment to provide the best flight training program in the industry.”
Doug May presented the keys to the new aircraft to Danny Perna, CEO of Epic Flight Academy, at Textron Aviation’s static display at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport during the Sun ‘n Fun International Fly-in & Expo. Epic’s need for new, state-of-the-art training aircraft has grown since the introduction of their Airline Career Sponsorship Program (ACSP) in connection with their airline partnerships.
Epic Flight Academy has been training pilots since 1999 from more than 70 different countries and offers both domestic and international flight training courses with aviation specific English preparation. Epic’s performance-based training financing provides added value to their student pilots, allowing them to set the industry standards higher for flight training operations.
The Skyhawk is the world standard for pilot training and is renowned for offering the best combination of modern features, including the G1000 avionics system and proven dependability. The aircraft’s high-wing design enables superior flying characteristics ideally suited for pilot training. More Skyhawks have been delivered to customers around the world than any other type of aircraft.