Epic Buzz Newsletter

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

Polk State College Partners with Epic Aircraft Mechanic Program Polk State College has signed an articulation agreement with Epic that allows graduates from Epic’s Aircraft Mechanic Program to transfer their A&P certificate for 30 credit hours toward an AS degree in Aviation Maintenance Administration. Eric Crump, Aerospace Program Director at Polk State College said, “Polk State College is proud to partner with Epic Flight Academy to help address the critical need for qualified aviation maintenance technicians. Together, we can provide our graduates with the skills they need to be successful throughout their career journey.” We invite you to check out our FAA-certified Part 147 aircraft mechanic school. Training lasts just 19 months, and we have many aviation hiring partners, including FEAM. The aircraft … Read more

Epic takes deliver of a new Cessna, hosts airline seminars, awards scholarships, and more. Volume 5, Issue 3 | March 2022 Epic Takes Delivery of New Cessna Epic Flight Academy purchases all training aircraft new from the factory. Students and staff turned out to welcome the newest addition to the Epic fleet, a Cessna Skyhawk 172S Nav III. We flew this in directly from the Cessna/Textron factory in Kansas. Epic’s maintenance department has since painted the tail red to match the rest of the fleet. The red tails make the aircraft more visible, which is an added safety feature. Check Flight School Eligibility! Career Seminars Epic hosted three Career Seminars with representatives from Air Wisconsin, GoJet Airlines, and Republic Airways. Pilots and … Read more

Epic announces Aviate Program in partnership with United Airlines and a new program with FEAM Maintenance.  Volume 5, Issue 2 | February 2022 Epic Partners with United Airlines to Offer Aviate Program At a press conference on January 11, 2022, we announced our new partnership with United Airlines. United staff, Epic staff, and New Smyrna Beach Mayor Russ Owen were on hand to announce the launch of the Aviate Program at Epic Flight Academy. We had an excellent turnout for the event, and Epic graduates are already applying to the program, which offers the most direct path to a United Airlines flight deck. GoJet Career Seminar Representatives from GoJet Airlines will be on site Tuesday, Feb. 22 at 3:30 pm to share hiring information. … Read more