Epic Buzz Newsletter

Volume 6, Issue 2 | February 2023 Ribbon-Cutting at Tallahassee a Success January was a busy month, which included the launch of our third flight school. Members of the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce welcomed Epic Flight Academy with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on January 14th at Tallahassee International Airport. The event was well attended, and CommuteAir even flew in an ERJ-145 jet for folks to tour. More than 60 people signed up for discovery flights. WTXL Meteorologist Elizabeth Copeland flew with Brock Rees, Director of Satellite Operations, earlier in the week and then broadcast live from Epic the day before the event. Our third location is officially open, and flight student Cody Harrison flew the first solo flight for Epic Tallahassee! … Read more

Volume 6, Issue 1 | January 2023 Ribbon-Cutting at Tallahassee Location We’re starting the new year with a Grand Opening of our newest flight training facility at the Tallahassee International Airport on Saturday, Jan. 14th from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. We invite you to join us to learn more about our Tallahassee operations. What better way to get your questions answered than to visit us on site, meet the staff, and view our classrooms and fleet? CommuteAir will join us in Tallahassee and display their Embraer ERJ-145 jet. We will also have food and free discovery flights! Aircraft Mechanic Open House We’re also hosting an Open House at our FAA Part 147 Aircraft Mechanic training facility in New Smyrna Beach on Saturday, … Read more

Volume 5, Issue 12 | December 2022 Epic Awards $70,000 in Aviation Scholarships Scholarship winners and presenters (L-R): Landon Bosco, Epic Founder and CEO Danny Perna, Aaron Perez, New Smyrna Beach Mayor Russ Owen, and Austin White (Not pictured: Ethan Harpending and Roland Ireland) Congratulations to our 2022 aviation scholarship winners! We received dozens of applications from 13 states. Aaron Perez and Ethan Harpending each won $20,000 for aircraft mechanic training; Austin White won $20,000 for flight training; and Landon Bosco and Roland Ireland each won $5,000 for flight training. A special thank you to Piedmont Airlines for funding a $5,000 scholarship this year!  First Female Aircraft Mechanic Graduate We are so proud to congratulate Holly Ledesma, our first female A&P … Read more

Volume 5, Issue 11 | November 2022 NBAA Honors Epic COO Josh Rawlins It’s not every day that an Epic employee receives national recognition, but where Josh Rawlins is concerned, it should be. The National Business Aviation Association recognized Josh as the 2022 Business Aviation Top 40 Under 40 Award Recipient in the Maintenance category. Josh is a legend at Epic. Hired when still a teenager, he began his career at Epic sweeping hangars and doing whatever was needed. He soon apprenticed as an A&P mechanic, launching him on a path of distinction. Today, Josh serves as Epic’s COO and Director of the Aircraft Mechanic Program. We celebrate his achievements and are grateful for his dedication to Epic students. We congratulate … Read more

Volume 5, Issue 10 | October 2022 Orlando Sentinel Recognizes Epic as Top Workplace The Orlando Sentinel newspaper recognized Epic Flight Academy as a Top Workplace on Friday, September 16th at an awards ceremony in Orlando, Florida. Epic was recognized in the “Small Employer Group.” Founder and CEO Danny Perna said, “When we started in 1999, we never imagined the company would grow to multiple locations and more than 100 employees, but we’ve always been fortunate to hire great people. For our staff to weigh in on what it means to work at Epic meant so much. We value their feedback and hope to continue making Epic a great place to work.” Aircraft Mechanic Students Graduate as New Class Begins Congratulations to … Read more

Volume 5, Issue 9 | September 2022 First Graduating Class of Aircraft Mechanics On July 28, 2022, the graduating class of seven aircraft mechanic students celebrated months of hard work in a graduation ceremony at the school after completing all coursework. They are: (L-R) Luke Hartpence, Damon Vallas, Michael Azarian, Chris Gavigan, Artem Ukolov, Aiden Skau, and Scott Cavato. Epic’s FAA Part 147 school launched during the outset of the pandemic, creating initial challenges. However, the first class pressed on to become FAA-certified A&P mechanics. Best of all, each of these freshly minted AMTs received job offers immediately upon graduation. Congratulations! International Aircraft Mechanic Students In other Part 147 news, the Department of State has authorized Epic to issue M1 visas for … Read more

Epic staff attends EAA AirVenture, student accomplishments, specials, first time passes, and more! Volume 5, Issue 8 | August 2022 Epic Team Attends EAA AirVenture Oshkosh Why are these guys smiling? Because they’re representing Epic at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh. L-R: Tyren Wilson, Mike Thompson, and Brock Rees made the rounds to visit with our aviation partners, alumni, and future students. If you’ve never been to Oshkosh, mark your calendar for next year! There’s nothing like it. New Flight Students Welcome to our newest class of Epic pilots! These flight students arrived last month and are already making great strides in their flight training. Epic trains pilots from all around the U.S. and more than 80 countries. We’d love to welcome … Read more

Epic partners with Breeze Airways, visits from Air Wisconsin and Silver Airways, aircraft mechanic milestones, and much more! Volume 5, Issue 7 | July 2022 Meet Our Newest Partner: Breeze Airways Epic is proud to announce a new partnership with Breeze Airways. The agreement gives Epic pilots a hiring advantage. Qualified pilots will be invited to interview at 500 hours and secure a conditional job offer while building time toward the FAA minimum.  Joel Mitchell from Breeze Airways, said, “Breeze is proud to partner with Epic Flight Academy through our Breeze Embark Program. Epic does a fantastic job developing future aviation professionals. We are thrilled to have their help with our rapidly growing airline. Breeze offers an exceptional destination for aviators to fly nice … Read more

Epic and Republic announce new program, new students arrive, Air Wisconsin event, alumni news, first time passes, and more… Volume 5, Issue 6 | June 2022 Republic Airways Program Representatives from Republic Airways visited campus recently to speak to Epic pilots about the new Republic Airways and Epic Flight Academy Career Pipeline Interview Program. Republic Airways Campus Recruiter Bradley Murphy said, “We’re thrilled to establish this partnership with Epic Flight Academy to hire their best to become Republic Airways Pilots, Cadets and Ambassadors. We’re proud to see Epic alumni enter our flight decks, and this partnership will allow that pipeline to grow over the years to come.”  The program provides an opportunity for Epic pilots to become candidates for pilot positions during … Read more

Epic Ocala facility opens, United visits Epic, NASA event, staff and alumni news, first time passes, and more Volume 5, Issue 5 | May 2022 Epic Cuts Ribbon in Ocala It’s official! On Saturday, April 23rd, the Ocala Metro Chamber and Economic Partnership joined Epic staff to cut the ribbon and officially open our newest location. The new flight school is at the Ocala International Airport. We welcomed members of the public to our Open House, and several people enjoyed seeing Ocala from the air as they took Discovery Flights with Epic pilots. We appreciate the warm welcome from our new friends in Ocala and look forward to training many pilots there.  Aircraft Mechanic Students We only have a few seats left … Read more