Epic Flight Academy Becomes Largest Part 141 Flight School in the United States
On Wednesday, April 23, 2025, the FAA completed inspections on three of Epic’s newest flight training campuses and certified them for Part 141 training. This brings the total of Epic’s Part 141 schools to 9, the most in the country.
Epic founder and CEO Danny Perna said, “It’s quite a milestone, especially considering the fact that we are actively developing additional flight training sites that will also be Part 141 schools.”
Director of satellite operations Brock Rees added, “FAA Part 141 training is a structured, FAA-approved program that offers a faster, more efficient path to earning pilot certificates with fewer required flight hours.” Flying Magazine shared the full story.
Aircraft Mechanic Students Shine at Competition
The 2025 AMC competition was held in Atlanta, Georgia, with 90 teams from academic and professional organizations participating. Epic Flight Academy entered for the first time, sending a team of aircraft mechanic students from its New Smyrna Beach campus, where students competed in 27 timed events simulating real-world A&P tasks.
Epic’s team performed exceptionally well, placing in the top 10 in 22 events and finishing sixth overall among school teams. Students gained valuable experience, networked with industry professionals, and received job offers from organizations like American Airlines. The competition was a highly successful and rewarding experience for all Epic participants.
New Students in April
Welcome to all new students who began training last month at Epic Flight Academy. We welcomed pilots (above, New Smyrna Beach) and aircraft mechanics (below, CVG Airport/Erlanger). With orientation complete, training is well underway!
Seminole State College Agreement
Epic Flight Academy and Seminole State College (SSC) have signed an agreement allowing Epic-trained pilots to transfer their flight training as college credit. Pilots can receive up to 27 college credit hours for their Epic flight training to be used toward an associate’s degree, which requires a total of 60 credit hours.
Epic Events: See You Soon!
We invite you to mark your calendar and stop by our events this month:
- May 3: Airline Bound Career Seminar – Denver, CO
- May 17: Flight School Open House – Tucson, AZ
- May 24: Mechanic School Open House – CVG Airport/Erlanger KY
- May 31: Mechanic School Open House – New Smyrna Beach, FL
New Articles: Checkrides & Commercial Pilot Ranks
Check out our two newest articles on the topics of pilot checkrides and commercial pilot ranks. What topics would you like to read about? Let us know!
Epic Alumni News: Career Updates
Congratulations to Epic graduate Christian Turner who is now a First Officer flying the Cessna Caravan for Southern Airways Express! Christian earned his PPL, IR, CSEL, and CMEL at Epic. He shared this advice for other Epic students: “Get that multi time! Make good connections. Those letters of recommendation are highly valued. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience and flight training.”
Congratulations also to Reny Kihien Boluarte who is now a First Officer flying the Airbus A319, A320, and A321 for LATAM Airlines Peru! Reny earned his PPL, IR, and CSEL here at Epic and shared this about his training: “Becoming a pilot at Epic was a great decision. The location of New Smyrna Beach, the airplanes that are very modern and have great maintenance levels, and the technology used by Epic taught me modern procedures that are used right now in the aviation industry. I got the opportunity to learn to fly in a well-located area surrounded by different airports and airspaces that gave me unforgettable memories not only in my career but also in my life.”
We also caught up with Senior First Officer Amit Chhokar who is now flying the 767 for FedEx.
Epic grads, send us a career update!
Staff Updates
Welcome to these new faces! Although they may work at different campuses, each is a valuable member of the Epic family!
Aircraft Mechanic Passes
Scott Zook, an aircraft mechanic student, passed the FAA Airframe practical exam last month.
Pilot Checkride Passes
These flight students passed checkrides on their first attempt in April!
Private Pilot
Charles Gustaf Lundgren (HEG)
Logan Patrick Kasperski Sodl
Zachary Clark Petzold
Patrick Michael Huber
Kyle Irwin McCane
Kazi Arafat Hossain Jishan
Weston Lee Pollard
Alexander Agosto (OCF)
Victor Miguel Venegas
Connor Douglas Frisch
Nguyen Phan Anh Tran
Hamid Emmanuel Palacios (OCF)
Julian Kinkade MacFarlane
Instrument Rating
Hunter Adam Williams
Jesse Benjamin Hutchinson (TUS)
Adriana Tamir Ayala Ronda
Matthew William Novaria
Taylor MacKenna Foster
Ian Ehrhardt
Felix David Rodriguez Francisco
Christian Alan Frazier (TUS)
Neimyn Paige Wakefield
Maxwell Bradley Warhold
Phillip Hood Kish
Emily Anne Judd
Brad Leo Benjamin
Zachary John Nolen
Anthony Crispin Remington
Dravid Munesh Basdeosingh
Robert Justin Forsythe
Commercial Single-Engine
Dominic Noenurai Dobier
Samer Youssef Elmorsy
Nicolas Michael Oyler
Emma Josephine Wright
Kofi Opoku Agyei
Stephon Lara Rivera (OCF)
Julie Ann Montgomery
Sebastian Decastro Marrero
Ian Clayton Markel (TUS)
Connor Hayes Barnett
Commercial Multi-Engine
Mohammad Dawood Ballout
Andrew Youngdo Jeon
Anastasia Ceca Lasic
Ansel Scott Utz
Yash Nimesh Patel
Anderson Scott Adams
Certified Flight Instructor
Maylyn Annette Wallace
Claudia Marie Koutsantanou
Brayden Alexander Stocks
Jeremiah Jacob Clement
Grace Ann Varghese
Eric Scott Cinnamon
Mila Eberly
Jesus Armando Coronado III (TUS)
Austin Lee Schad (TUS)
Michael Anthony Diaz (TUS)
Mark Joseph Henderson (TLH)
Certified Flight Instructor – Instrument
Greta Louise MacMillan
Genevieve Marie Gemignani
Tobias Buckley Pardey
Charles Jacob Brouwer
Kerrilyn Jane Lehman
Andrew Tracey Shepherd
Kameron Michael Peterson
Sydney Christine Fago
Ruth Zepheniele Philips West
Kylie Renee Evans
Alexandra Nicole McNew
Edward Groves Campbell (TUS)
Matthew Dante Marconi
Bryce Austin Brown
Daniel Angelo Anderson
Mark Joseph Henderson (TLH)
JJ Chuang Chou
Justin Sosa
Robert William Miller (TLH)
Multi-Engine Flight Instructor
Sean Ryan Wertz
