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 for our next Aircraft Mechanic class that starts on May 31st. Classes run Monday-Thursday, 8:00 am to 3:00 pm. The entire program takes only 19 months to complete. Are you ready to find out if you’re eligible? It only takes a few minutes. If you miss the May class, our next class will begin September 26th.
May Special for International Flight Students
Back by popular demand, international flight students can receive a special discount when they bring a friend to flight school. Traveling far from home to attend flight school can be a challenge, but it’s more fun when you bring a friend along! In May, Epic is offering a “Buddy System” Special when you enroll in flight school with a friend. Both students will receive a $5,000 credit and free Private Pilot Ground School.
International students who enroll with a friend, with both paying their application fees between May 1, 2022 and June 30, 2022, are eligible for this special. You must enroll and begin training no later than December 1, 2022.
United Aviate Career Seminar
Thanks to our partners at United Airlines for hosting a career seminar at Epic last month. They worked with Epic students who are planning a career path through the Aviate Program.
New Aviate recruits, L-R: Sean Hughes, Dillon Barker, Alejandro Rodriguez, Lauren Faberlle, and Michael Brooks.
Epic Alumni News
Congratulations to Epic grad Zach Zois who recently became a First Officer for Delta Air Lines! Zach was an excellent flight student here at Epic, and we are proud of his accomplishments. His advice to current flight students?
“Hard work will pay off in the end, so stay committed and enjoy your training!”
Diversity in STEM
Last month, Epic Flight Academy was invited to participate in Diversity in STEM, a panel and networking event sponsored by Microsoft, NASA, and Brown Stem Girl and hosted by the Astronauts Memorial Foundation. Our crew shared information about aviation careers and met hundreds of teens interested in science, technology, engineering, and math.
Epic in the News
April was a busy month for Epic. Even Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear’s weekly “Team Kentucky Update” included one of Epic’s current projects as you can see in this video beginning around 8:45. And in other news:
- Hometown News 04/01
- Aviation Pros 04/04
- Centre for Aviation 04/05
- AFM Aero 04/05
- CFBAA 04/14
- Halldale Group 04/27
- Ocala News 04/27
- AFM Aero 04/27
Welcome to Epic’s Newest Staff Members
Last month, we welcomed Melissa Argudo to the recruiting team, Daniel Ruiz Jiminez to ground support, Phillip Kish to finance and accounting, and Samuel Whitehurst to our flight instructor team. You can read their bios online, and be sure to say hello when you see them on campus!
Captain Judy’s Corner: PIREPs
Filing pilot reports, or PIREPs, is a time-honored way for pilots to share weather information with others, as Captain Judy Rice explains in her latest article. Pilots benefit from this information and use it to make important decisions.
Check Rides
Congratulations to these 56 Epic Flight Academy students who passed check rides on their first attempt in April! This reflects their knowledge, skills, and hard work.
Private Pilot
Bastian Andreas Frisch
Sergio Felipe Vargas Granados
Brett Daniel Hilton
Timothy Jacob Pokulok
Konstantin Nico Eckerl
Abdelrahman Eisam Abdelrahman Dafaalla
Yeng Kit Leong
Cher Wen Goh
Andres Filipe Baquero-Velasquez
Amerani Ahmed Amerani
Davis Marshall Pittenger
Samip Shrestha
Instrument Rating
Yeng Kit Leong
Michael Gabriel Rivera
Cher Wen Goh
Calvin Chuen Yien Lau
Paige Claire Canny
Ryan Mancini Hansel Bethell
Hang Thanh Ho
Commercial Single-Engine
Ian Raul Ortiz Cruz
Gary Clayton Woodward III
Yeng Kit Leong
Francesca Nina Daly
Joel Victor Bressett
Calvin Chuen Yien Lau
John Macintosh Ream
Commercial Multi-Engine
Sheldon Addington Morris Jr
James Nicholas Heistand
Nguyen Khoi Vu
Michael Phillip DiMatteo
Kristopher Scott Adams
Carlos Daniel Cabrera
Yeng Kit Leong
John Alexander Mason
Durand Jonath Andrew Walimuni Mendis Abeysekera
ATP
Boon Hwee Ho
Certified Flight Instructor
George Ashley Cooper II
Trevor Shaw Brawn
Ming Ho Chung
Dominick Helmut Bubeck
Cory Lee Peterson
Sam Alexander Maner
Justine Anna Smickle
Certified Flight Instructor – Instrument
Mehmet Ula
Anthony Joseph Micocci
Jaron Rece McCloud
Abdiel Armando Rosado Camacho
Shubhanu Mukherjee
Linnea Jade Hull
Mackenzie Tyler Dickson
Ryan Michael Hamill
Tyler Scott Martin
Thy Bui
Pei-Cian Sun
Jonathan Del Valle Rivera
Multi-Engine Instructor
Anthony Paul Pizzo Jr