Volume 7, Issue 4 | April 2024
Ribbon-Cutting Scheduled at CVG
After a year of construction and setting up classrooms and training areas, our new FAA Part 147 Aircraft Mechanic School at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is ready to launch! The ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place on Monday, April 22, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. Invited guests will get to tour the facility and meet students. We are excited and grateful to staff who worked day and night to prepare this brand new training facility. Our first class begins on April 15th.
If you’re considering a career as an aircraft mechanic, you can check your eligibility in minutes and train at the CVG Airport location or in New Smyrna Beach, FL.
New Flight Students in March
March was a busy month as we welcomed new flight students to our New Smyrna Beach campus (pictured). We also welcomed students to our Ocala, Tallahassee, Tucson, and Jacksonville campuses. We invite you to visit any of our campuses and take a Discovery Flight and tour!
Epic Graduate Visits Aircraft Mechanic School
We welcomed a special visitor to our New Smyrna Beach aircraft mechanic school last month. Epic graduate Steven Mena visited with students and staff and shared his real-world experiences while working in Saudi Arabia on a military contract with the U.S. Army. It was great to see him again and hear about his exciting adventures as an aircraft mechanic.
Epic Alumni News: Career Updates
Hearing from Epic graduates advancing in their careers always makes us smile! Congratulations to these Epic graduates on their latest achievements: Joseph Antaya, First Officer at Envoy Air flying the Embraer E170/E175; Ronak Tanna, First Officer at Frontier Airlines working on his A320 rating; Matthew DeBurra, First Officer at United Airlines flying the B737; Jillian Kepich, First Officer flying the CL-65 for GoJet Airlines; Cheolhong Lee, First Officer at Air Premia flying the B787; Loïc Chenge, First Officer flying the Boeing 737 for Serve Air Cargo; Anthony Padilla Ayala, First Officer flying the SD3-60 for Air Cargo Carriers; Austin Bolz, First Officer flying the A320 for Allegiant Air; and Chris Walters, maintenance technician at Spirit Airlines. These accomplishments represent a lot of hard work and dedication. We are Epic proud!
If you’re an Epic graduate, please send us an update!
Alpine Air Express Visit
It’s not every day we have an ice cream social at our aircraft mechanic school, but it is when Matt and Lisa from Alpine Air Express come to visit! Our students learned about career opportunities while satisfying their sweet tooth!
Employee Updates
Last month two new team members joined the Epic family. Peter Toutain is a flight instructor at our Jacksonville flight school and Marv Loopstra is a mechanic instructor at the New Smyrna Beach aircraft mechanic school.
We also congratulate Alan Hobson on being promoted to Site Manager at our Tucson, Arizona campus.
Astronauts Memorial Foundation Scholarship
The Astronauts Memorial Foundation, in partnership with Epic Flight Academy, presented a full scholarship to Luke Underwood, a senior at Burns Sci-Tech Charter School. Luke will attend Epic’s Aircraft Mechanic Program with this scholarship, which covers tuition and materials for the 19-month program, valued at $45,000. Epic instructor Anthony Allbright (L) made the presentation to Luke along with President of The Astronauts Memorial Foundation Thad Altman (R) at the 2024 College and Career Readiness Event at the Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space Center on March 15, 2024.
Epic Outreach and Career Seminars
March was another busy month for the Epic outreach team. They visited numerous career fairs and schools, including:
- Junior Achievement of OKI Partners – Cincinnati, OH
- CVG Job Fair at Turfway Park – Florence, KY
- Seminole High School – Sanford, FL
- College and Career Readiness – Kennedy Space Center, FL
- Military Appreciation Day – Green Cove Springs, FL
- Campbell County Middle School – Alexandria, KY
- River Cities Career Fair- Bellevue, KY
- Silver Sands Middle School – Port Orange, FL
- Withrow University High School – Cincinnati, OH
- College Park Elementary School – Ocala, FL
- Freedom High School – Orlando, FL
- Ocoee High School – Ocoee, FL
Also, the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce interviewed Tyren Wilson, and Ray Altmann shared an Epic update on WDSC TV-15’s Out and About in Central Florida. Epic has been in the news a lot lately!
Aircraft Mechanic Exams
Congratulations to Andruw Bunch on passing his FAA Powerplant exam last month!
Pilot Check Rides
These flight students passed check rides on their first attempt in March!
Private Pilot
Korrina Lafaye Pettie
Daniel Angelo Anderson
Jack Trenton Luttenbacher
Basanta Pokhrel
Azekel Isiah Sedeno
Zaudiel Elith Angulo
David Alejandro Medina
Eugenia Michelle Spurrier
Instrument Rating
Tanat Kongkam
Justin Sosa
Alec Victor Dufour
Robert William Miller (TLH)
Maria Jose Cordoba Avila
David Harrold Stafford Jr (TLH)
Dat Tien Nguyen
Ryon Alexander Drake (TLH)
Travian Arias St Louis
William Kevin Angelette (TLH)
Luke Austin Letchworth
Lavi Candrakanta Ramadhani
Geovany Torres
Brian Scott Grainger
Commercial Single-Engine
Brock Walden Fletcher
Gregory Braden Smith
Manav Patel
Robert Mason Wright (TLH)
Dylan Paul Slatinsky
Channing Eli Prichard (TLH)
Michael John Bashta
Hoang Pham Huy Nguyen
Commercial Multi-Engine
Timothy Anthony Richardson
Sofia Arnedo Jaramillo
Bryan David Cintron Nieves
Kevin Bryce Gagne
Taha Hekmat Saeed
Kumar Vir
Kevin Luke Steinmann
Onurcan Unal
Certified Flight Instructor
Gregory Thomas Sheppard (TLH)
Zackary Michael-Dell Wohlart
Brianna Marie-Elise D’Souza
James Stephen Kwan
Hannah Hope Gardner (TLH)
Xiaochen Xu (TLH)
Michael Ian Glick
Certified Flight Instructor – Instrument
Victor Xavier Melendez Castro (OCF)
Diego Alejandro Aguila Moreno
Bill Deng Pan
Gregory Thomas Sheppard (TLH)
Jonah Sung-Lai Chiu
Taylor Breyton Jackson
Multi-Engine Flight Instructor
Jonathan Thomas Shumaker
Nicholas Jake Vandiver
Jerry Wade Jacobs II