Volume 7, Issue 1 | January 2024
Six New Cessnas Arrived in December
The Epic fleet grew last month as we took delivery of six brand new Cessna Skyhawks at our New Smyrna Beach campus. Epic pilots picked up the new planes at the Cessna factory in Independence, Kansas and flew them to Florida. Next, our maintenance department will paint the tails red, and our students will enjoy training in these excellent aircraft!
New Flight Students in December
We closed out 2023 welcoming these new flight students to our main campus last month. We also welcomed new pilots at our Ocala, Tallahassee, and Tucson campuses!
CVG Update
The exterior of our new aircraft mechanic school at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is complete. Now the construction crew is busy finishing the interior so we’ll be ready to open in the spring. We’d love to save you a seat! You can prequalify in minutes.
Open House: New Smyrna Beach Aircraft Mechanic School
Join us on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024 between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm to tour our New Smyrna Beach Aircraft Mechanic School, meet students and staff, and possibly receive a $1,000 scholarship! We are offering a total of five (5) $1,000 scholarships at this event!
During this event:
- Watch our students run a live jet engine!
- Learn about local career opportunities with our hiring partner, United Airlines.
- Check out a special appearance by a jet-powered truck!
Our next class begins in New Smyrna Beach on Feb. 12th! We invite you to prequalify!
Epic Alumni News: Career Updates
Epic graduates always have the best news to share! Here is the latest:
Eshaan Patil: Eshaan is now a First Officer flying the A320/A321 for Frontier Airlines!
Estefany Medrano: Estefany is a First Officer flying the HA-420 for Volato. She shared this great message with us: “My time at Epic Flight Academy was amazing. I had the best CFI/MEI who helped me obtain my pilot licenses and also motivated me to eventually become an MEI, which played a big role in getting my first Part 135 job. Thank you so much Epic!”
Jeremy Hall: Jeremy is now a First Officer flying the Embraer 175 for Jazz, Air Canada’s largest regional partner!
John Ream: John shared, “Shortly after graduating from Epic, I was offered my first job as a survey pilot flying for SkyLens Aerial Imaging. I flew all around the country from coast to coast mapping for various projects and earning some of the most valuable experience. When my contract ended and I was seeking the next step in my career, I came across the Mesa Pilot Development Program. Mesa Airlines offers an accelerated time-building pathway program to eventually fly for them as a First Officer. I was accumulating an average of 200 hours of flying a month and was able to reach ATP minimums through the program.”
We love sharing success stories! If you’re an Epic graduate, please send us an update!
New Staff and Instructors
Welcome to our newest team members!
New staff members include: Zach Johnson, Ground Support; Emilio Sampoll, Mechanic Apprentice; Melanie Miller, Transportation; and Mandy Brown, Registrar.
New flight instructors include: Somtochukwu BOC-Ifeobu, Bryan Nieves, Don Kim, Brandon Yamamoto, Joseph McGrath, Moira Hedrick, Jessica Frascotti, Tyler De Cuzzi, Brett Hilton, Nate Jackson, and Leah Jaicks.
Pilot Retirement: Captain Judy’s Corner
Although she has retired from Epic, Captain Judy Rice continues to share her expertise in “Captain Judy’s Corner.” Check out her newest article about pilot retirement and what comes next!
Epic Outreach and Career Seminars
Epic staff members visited Florida schools in December, including several basketball games in Volusia County. We also hosted career seminars at our Aircraft Mechanic School with PSA Airlines and Alpine Air Express. Aviation careers continue on an upward trajectory, so whether you want to be a pilot or be an aircraft mechanic, we can train you!
Aircraft Mechanic Exams
Congratulations to these aircraft mechanic students who passed FAA exams last month!
Airframe
Robert Steven Albinson
Halen Ashley
Joseph Blankenship
Luis Saavedra Marin
Pilot Check Rides
These flight students passed check rides on their first attempt in December!
Private Pilot
Brett Wiliam Postula
Brian Scott Grainger
Muhammad Bilal Mirza
Dawn Marie Hill
Ryon Alexander Drake (TLH)
Wilbur Dwayne Abraham
Jeremiah Jacob Clement
Abdur Rahman
Jake Walter Weiland
Instrument Rating
Rafiul Alam
Matthew John Davis
Manav Patel
MD Sazzad Hossain Mahin
Ian Weslay Slentz (TLH)
Michael John Bashta
Commercial Single-Engine
Hannah Hope Gardner (TLH)
Roderick Josip Pluscec
Jesca Marison Mwakyoma
Jeremy Alan Daubner
Corey Edward Szewczyk
Michael Ian Glick
Muneeb Omar Dahab
Joseph Ronald Auber
Xiaochen Xu
Michael William Malone (TLH)
James Octavius DeMarco
Conan Austin Dulac
Commercial Multi-Engine
William David Chen
Lamar Treshawn Finley
Dillon Scott Gover
Emily Anne Pollard
Melissa Estefania Argudo Alvarado
Alan Jeffry Hobson
Tyler Scott Martin
Certified Flight Instructor
Diego Alejandro Aguila Moreno
Abdelrahman Eisam Abdelrahman Dafaalla
Certified Flight Instructor – Instrument
Arthur James Clarke
Eliyomar Medina Soto
Justin Scott Chase
Masa Mhd Ammar Alkodsi
2023 in Review
The past year was a busy one for Epic with 99 news stories about our new locations, newest aircraft, CVG construction, scholarships, and more! Our sincere thanks to our staff, instructors, and students who helped to make 2023 a great year. Here’s to another in 2024!
Epic Flight Academy turns 25 this year! Thank you to our staff and students for your support over this quarter of a century! Here’s to many more years of training aviation professionals!