Volume 6, Issue 6 | June 2023
Aircraft Mechanics on the Move
Congratulations to our May 2023 aircraft mechanic graduates! They have completed Epic’s 19-month Airframe & Powerplant Mechanic Program. Epic COO & Director of the Aircraft Mechanic Program Josh Rawlins presented certificates to each graduate. These students worked incredibly hard, and we wish them all the best in their exciting new careers! They can even transfer their A&P training to Polk State College for 30 credit hours toward an AS degree in Aviation Maintenance Administration.
We were also happy to welcome a new class of aircraft mechanic students to campus (below). If you’re ready to train as an aircraft mechanic, our next class begins Sept. 25. You can prequalify in minutes.
New Flight Students
Joining our May class of flight students were 10 students (below) training to fly for US-Bangla Airlines. This month, 11 more students from Bangladesh will arrive to begin commercial pilot training at Epic.
Scholarships for U.S. Students Now Open
Our 8th Annual Aviation Scholarships are open to U.S. high school juniors and seniors. This year we will award $75,000 in scholarships to 6 students to train as pilots and aircraft mechanics. Deadline to apply is October 1st.
Epic Events
Epic events at home and afar! We welcomed around 100 students from Discovery Elementary School in Deltona, FL to our New Smyrna Beach campus for a field trip. Also, our crew had a great time at the Professional Asian Pilots Association Conference in Las Vegas where we were represented by recruiter Shiang Lu, flight instructor Michelle Beard, and pilots Khoa Nguyen and Thanya Rittidech. Lots of Epic alumni stopped by to say hello! Brock Rees paid a special visit to Amos P. Godby High School in Tallahassee, and we welcomed Envoy Air and Southwest Airlines for career seminars! Never a dull moment!
Alumni News
Updates from the skies! Check out the latest accomplishments of these Epic graduates. Epic graduate Pierre-Louis Carrel started his PPL training in Côte d’Ivoire – West Africa in 2017 and finished in France in 2019. He did his foreign license verification and started Instrument training at Epic. Pierre-Louis continued his CPL-Single-Engine Multi-Engine at Epic, finishing in 2020. Now, he is a co-pilot on an Airbus 320 operating in West Africa. He shared, “Epic is a great school with qualified instructors. I appreciate the time I had there. I had the best instructors, Mr. Choony and Mr. Hattaway. I will always remember the power-off 180 with Choony and the single-engine operation with Hattaway. I advise students looking for flight school that Epic Flight Academy is a good school.”
Christopher Desjarlais is a First Officer with Pace Aviation Corp flying the CE-560XL and CE-650. Congratulations to Ricardo Edwards from The Bahamas who is now a Captain with Flamingo Air flying the Cessna 402 and Beechcraft 99! And we love this shot of Jean Bila landing a Boeing 737 for Serve Air Cargo! Jean is from Belgium and trained here in 2021 and 2022.
We invite our graduates to send us an update and keep in touch! We love hearing from you!
Epic Staff News
We welcomed several new team members recently and want to officially introduce them here! We are happy to welcome Michelle Colon in Admissions, Arrival Coordinator Grace Campano, Jailyn Tafolla in Parts & Purchasing, Aircraft Mechanic Devin Dorton, Dispatchers Victoria Foe and Kelsie Butler, and Education Compliance Manager Robyn Vivona! We also welcomed 9 new flight instructors to Epic: Andrea Stewart, Dustin Folkema, Jade Lebel, Joseph Hill, Robert Sharp, Joe Brown, Zari McKenna, Max Siemers, and Jeff Knipe. Welcome to Epic! We’re glad you’re here!
Epic Q1 Update
Founder and CEO Danny Perna shared company updates with the team at the end of the month as Epic continues its growth trajectory. Epic currently employs 180 people and has plans for continued expansion.
FAA Passes for May
Aircraft Mechanic Exams
Congratulations to these aircraft mechanic students who passed FAA exams last month!
Airframe
Brian Katigbak
Powerplant (A&P Mechanics)
Scott Cable
Jack Goebel
Zane Hamilton
Chuting Lui
Daniel Martz
Steven Mena
Samuel Olson
Daniel Jimenez Ruiz
Pilot Check Rides
These flight students passed check rides on their first attempt in May!
Private Pilot
Aurora Madison Engel
Onurcan Unal
William Nicholas Mobley (TLH)
Emily Lynn Shelton
Tien Huynh Minh Tran
Kevin Luke Steinmann
Instrument Rating
Ibukunoluwa Iyiola Kofo-Abayomi
Ryan Tully Rickett (OCF)
Corey Clairson Buffonge
Adrian Felipe Vinueza Cordova
Riley Alexa Sorge
Clayton James Smith (OCF)
Jesse Lee Dixson
John Harrison Reynolds
Taylor Mark Valletto
Sofia Arnedo Jaramillo
Robert Russell Carroll
Dillon Scott Gover
Commercial Single-Engine
Bryan David Cintron Nieves
Dalton Macgwire Dunsworth
Matthew Albert Fox
Brice Anthony Edwards
Nathaniel Paul Jackson
Ji Hun Shin
Melisa Estefania Argudo Alvarado
Arjuna Adhiradewa Andika
Justin Scott Chase
Brandon Christopher Schneiberg
Weston Mark Rauber
Commercial Multi-Engine
Dararaksmey Chou
Benjamin David Michael
Abdelrahman Eisam Abdelraman Dafaalla
Christopher Genao
Nezahat Sena Seckin
Kareeem Raja Sharaiha
Samuel Krug Morgan
Lucas Christian Greenwood
Simer Kaur Atwal
Jaron Rece McCloud
Dominick Helmut Bubeck
Kasey James Herring
Christine Noelle Larrivee
Certified Flight Instructor
Cole Christian Vickerman (TLH)
Preston David Tang
Maisie Lynn Herrera Atencio
Hozaifa Rahman Rafa
Adam Almahdi Haiboub
Derek Thomas Matusch
Serene Pag Ong Arnan
Certified Flight Instructor – Instrument
Charles Andrew Bushby
Austin Riley Bearden
Ryan Kip Groel
Robert Thomas Brooks
Max Willem Siemers
Coley Eugene Whitley
Caleb Daniel Watt
Hunter Mathew Ambos Larkin
Collin Reece Eberle
Jacob Martin Ostrowski
Jeffrey Thomas Knipe
Multi-Engine Flight Instructor
Julianna Noel Jones
Emma Anne Burnett