Volume 7, Issue 8 | August 2024

Ribbon Cutting in Jacksonville, FL

We have a new location! Thanks to the JAX Chamber of Commerce members for hosting the ribbon cutting at our grand opening last month. Our 5th flight training school is located at the Herlong Recreational Airport in Jacksonville, Florida, and we are already training pilots there!

New Flight Students in July

We’re here and ready to fly! Welcome to our newest flight students. With orientation completed, they are ready to soar! We invite you to stop by any of our campuses and take a Discovery Flight and tour to see if you’re thinking about pilot training. 

Happenings at our CVG Aircraft Mechanic School

Aircraft mechanic students at our Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) campus assisted students attending the Aviation Museum of Kentucky summer camp (above). Campers toured the school and got to see what FAA aircraft mechanic training is all about. Also at CVG, we were honored to host the Kentucky Chamber Board of Directors (below) for a special reception and dinner: A Taste of the World!

Saying Goodbye to a Legend: Captain Judy Rice

It is with heavy hearts we share the saddest of news. Our beloved friend, aviator, and educator, Captain Judy Rice, passed away on July 19, 2024 after a battle with cancer. She touched the lives of countless Epic students and inspired all who knew her. Her legacy stands strong, and we will honor her memory always. Rest in peace, Captain Judy. You are now flying with the angels. Godspeed.

Captain Judy had recently published her memoir, which includes photos and memories of her flying career. 

Epic Alumni News: Career Updates

Congratulations to these Epic graduates on their career updates!

Tien Dung Pham is a First Officer with Vietnam Airlines. He shared the following message: “Thank you, Epic Flight Academy, for being a memorable part of my journey to become a professional pilot. I had a great learning environment and great instructors. Although there were some initial difficulties, I overcame them and continued. I hope you will always keep your determination to achieve success.”

Xavier John is a First Officer flying the DHC-6 300 with SVG Air. He shared this advice to students: “Be patient. Flying requires you to process a lot of information while putting it into action. It is a demanding job, requiring you to put the effort into studying and concentrating on the practice. You must know what you are doing. There’s no shame in being confused over certain aspects of flying, so let your instructor know! You’re here to learn, and they know that. This is why you need to be patient. You’re not going to perfect your ability overnight.”

Alex MacMillan is a flight instructor at Eagle East Aviation, Patrick Soler is an Integrations Technician at SpaceX working on the Falcon 9 rocket, and Chris Hakanson is a First Officer with Air Cargo Carriers flying the SD3-60. Chris shared this advice: “Your perseverance and hard work will pay off as long as you keep your head in the books and don’t stop studying. Keep investing in yourself and it will pay off in the end.”

We are so proud of these graduates and love sharing success stories! If you trained at Epic, please send us a career update! 

Employee Updates

The Epic family is growing! Welcome to these newest team members!

• Gary Reid, Flight Instructor (EVB)
• Michael Anderson, Senior Accountant (EVB)
• Lily Turner, Flight Instructor (OCF)
• James DeMarco, Flight Instructor (EVB)
• Anastasia Lasic, Flight Instructor (EVB)
• Unubold Purevdavaa, Flight Instructor (EVB)
• Essi Nurieva, Flight Instructor (EVB)
• Masa Alkodsi, Flight Instructor (EVB)
• Mike Glick, Flight Instructor (EVB)
• Rodrigo Da Silver Jr, Flight Instructor (EVB)
• Andrew Abdelmalak, Flight Instructor (EVB)

Student Appreciation Beach Volleyball

Epic students work hard and play hard! We celebrated our students with a picnic and beach volleyball. Thanks to Ana Vazquez and Emma Perna for planning this fun event!

Epic Outreach and Airline Relations

Epic staff went on the road to share aviation last month. Jon Luck (above) demonstrated equipment at a Spruce Creek High School summer camp, and Epic flight instructor Alan Hobson and flight student Miranda Hinojosa visited Tucson High Magnet School to talk about aviation. Sharing inspiration is what we do!

We also welcomed representatives from Piedmont Airlines who shared career opportunities. Never a dull moment at Epic!

Aircraft Mechanic Passes

These aircraft mechanic students passed their FAA exams in July:

Airframe

Eric Vancour
Simon Leon

Powerplant

Simon Leon

Pilot Check Rides

Miranda Hinojosa passed her PPL check ride on her first attempt last month in Tucson. She is pictured with her flight instructor, Alan Hobson.

These flight students passed check rides on their first attempt in July!

Private Pilot   

Wanseok Kim
Siyuan Cao
Khaled Yousef H Aldebasi
Kerrilyn Jane Lehman
Adrian Andres Chessari (OCF)
Daniel Scott Brown
Nicholas Wade Jerome
Roxanne Valerie Bartlett
Matthew Thomas Ahern
Jonathan Orlando Veloza (TLH)
Miranda Hinojosa (TUS)
Samer Youssef Elmorsy
Venkatesan Sankaran
Jesse Chung
Christopher Martin Curnow

Instrument Rating   

Daniel Angelo Anderson
Jayden Ash Scott
Alexandra Nicole McNew
Harmeetkaur Charanjitsingh Sarna
Stephon Lara Rivera (OCF)
Conner McCormick Wilson (TUS)
Tuan Dao

Commercial Single-Engine   

Geovany Torres
MD Shahidun Nabi Tasin
Tyler Grant Hericks (HEG)
MD Roufir Hasan
Pedro Antonio Ortega
Kyler Nathan Lee Rich
Efty Kar Rashid
Zeshan Ferdoush Badhon
Faisal Ahmed Shanta
Bryson Daniel Gaylord (OCF)
Amzad Nafis Dinar
Christopher Raymond Paul
Victoria Elizabeth Cox

Commercial Multi-Engine

Dat Tien Nguyen
Brett Daniel Hilton
Hoang Pham Huy Nguyen
Jeffrey Joseph Hall
Levi Douglas McCall
Ian Wesley Slentz
Kasey Scott Wheatley
Kevin Xavier Santiago Ortiz

Certified Flight Instructor

Jack Morris Jones
Carter Edward Mickley Albers
Phillip Joseph Nacoste II
Joseph Edward Minnich
Cody Edward Raulerson
Michael Joseph Phelps
Channing Eli Prichard (TLH)
Matthew John Davis
Nayanne Pinto Aponte

Certified Flight Instructor – Instrument

Joseph Andrew McGrath
Rodrigo C DaSilva Jr
Pape Diaguila Seye
Brendan Joseph Sise
Conan Austin Dulac
Aurora Madison Engel
Clayton James Smith
Yu-Cheng Chiang
Elizabeth Marie Demian
Johnathan David Kimbro (OCF)
Ryan Christopher Adams
Gun Woo Lee
Jarod Brody Bachman
Andrew Hany Abdelmalak
Nevada Pierce Randall
Channing Eli Prichard (TLH)

Multi-Engine Flight Instructor

Cody Michael Young
Dominic Francis Movizzo