Epic Buzz Vol. 9 Issue 2 | February 2026

Training for the AMC Competition

Our students go the extra mile! We’re excited to announce that each of our Aircraft Mechanic Schools is sending a team to compete in the 2026 Aerospace Maintenance Council Competition, which will be held in Orlando, Florida in April. These aircraft mechanic students are doing additional training as they prepare for this prestigious event. We are so proud of them and wish them all the best.

Arrival of New Aircraft

Last month we took delivery of six brand-new Cessna Skyhawks at our New Smyrna Beach campus, three of which are pictured here. We purchase all training aircraft directly from the factory, and then our maintenance department paints the tails bright red for safety. We love seeing our fleet grow!

Pilot Training Updates

We welcomed this new class of flight students to the New Smyrna Beach campus last month. All are well underway in their training as are new students across our campuses.

Congratulations to this group of CFI students who have graduated from CFI ground school. It takes approximately 2 months to complete CFI training at Epic.

Flexjet Visit

We host career seminars at all of our campuses in which students learn about exciting aviation career opportunities. Last month, we welcomed several airlines and aviation companies. Pictured here are representatives from Flexjet speaking with aircraft mechanic students at the New Smyrna Beach campus. These seminars offer a great way to establish a career path while still in school.

Specials

Whether you’re interested in flight training or aircraft mechanic training, we are offering some excellent specials this month to help you get started. Check them out, speak with our recruiters, and let us help you take your next step in your aviation career.

Field Trips

Last month local students toured the New Smyrna Beach Aircraft Mechanic School. They enjoyed hands-on demonstrations, meeting current students, and asking lots of great questions! We love hosting field trips at any of our campuses. We’re also happy to visit schools and share the exciting world of aviation!

Flight Simulator Labs

Our students enjoy free sim labs to build skills and practice maneuvers. Here Jason Adams and Nick Wright log some time at our Tallahassee campus. These sim labs are offered every evening so pilots can polish their skills.

New Articles

We invite you to check out our newest aviation articles!

• Understanding METAR and TAF by Captain Stephen Austin
• Runway Markings by Chief Flight Instructor Ray Altmann

We are also happy to share this Spectrum News 13 story about our New Smyrna Beach Aircraft Mechanic School. Keep up with all the news and events!

Alumni News

Epic graduate Jeremy Hall trained at our New Smyrna Beach campus, earning his instrument, commercial, and multi-engine ratings. He now captains a Piper M700 with NectAir out of Toronto, Ontario as a charter pilot. Congratulations, Jeremy!

We love catching up with our graduates! If you trained at Epic, send us an update!

Top Prop Award at CVG

Last month powerplant instructor Troy Brevik awarded the Top Prop Award to Andrew Stevenson at our Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport campus. This award goes to the student who finishes with the highest combined exam and project scores. Great job, Andrew!

Pass Lists

Aircraft Mechanic Passes in January

Airframe

Brentley Bergmann (CVG)
Elroy Brown (EVB)
Jonathan Fore (CVG)
Emmett Pincumbe (CVG)
Rowan Ross (CVG)
Jack Simpson (CVG)
Andrew Stevenson (CVG)
Luke Underwood (EVB)

Powerplant

Kevin Durham (CVG)
Lucas Fribourg (CVG)
Brandon Gregory (CVG)
Derin Karagozler (EVB)
Dalton Meser (CVG)
Elias Unasa (CVG)

Pilot First-Attempt Passes in January

Private Pilot

Jose Rivera Ruiz
Nihar Bharat Pandya (ADS)
Benjamin Jewkes Vannoy
Xavier Rodriguez
William Michael Groetz
Jesse James Bobeck
Michael Halverson Hadfield
Ony Andriamirado
Ethan James Henry
Niklas Michael Pedersen
Joel David Taipe Quispe
Bassam Mohammed A Alamri
Isaac David Teel (TCL)
William Cole Bakeman (TUS)

Instrument Rating

Sydney Elain Wilke
Kane Eric Vasquez (ADS)
Joshua Bradley Stinnett (ADS)
Abdullah Muhammad Ahnaf Mahi
Lincoln Alexander Ulman
Naomi Bizen
Cole Michael Gannon
Tyler James Perkins (TLH)
Jake Robert Fordham
Kian Ali Sadat (TUS)
Noah Alexander Preuss (TUS)
Leonel Edgardo Chuc Jr (TUS)

Commercial Single-Engine

Kieran Paul Mackay (OCF)
Trey Anthony Kovalick
Payton Grace Woerner
Brian Allen Poulos
Nicholas Reagan Rando
Jeffrey James Brooks
Austin Jake Peacock
Mina George Mikhail
Jonah Robert Simons
Grant Owen Richards
Jakob Ryan Gamble
Santiago Alberto Paredes Martinez
Kyle Keller Henke (OCF)
Tyler Michael Conti
Sebastian Maurente

Commercial Multi-Engine

Matthew George Morandi
Karina Marie Ortiz Munoz
Rondel Akil Chrisford Hercules
Brad Leo Benjamin
Tristan Alejandro Taylor
Cherokee Jonas Rush
Catherine Elizabeth Naudin
Haegun Wayne Hoffschneider

Certified Flight Instructor

Jordan Nicholas Loiseau
Steven Nathan Popovetsky (TLH)
Michael John Emil Banks
Colin Dennis Skelly
Isaac Eli Ribar
Maxwell Stewart Franklin
Logan Patrick Kasperski Sodl
Robert Justin Forsythe (OCF)

Certified Flight Instructor – Instrument

Drake Alexander Pfeiffer
Kylie Giovanna Swartendruber
Matthew Phillip Langbecker
Milad Badi Farahani (ADS)
Dominic Noenurai Dobier
Ryon Alexander Drake (TLH)
Sebastian DeCastro Marrero (OCF)
Jacob Dawson Bridwell
Christian Tyler Waddell
Dawn Marie Hill
Christian Robert Nelson
Dylan Leonard Wertz

Multi-Engine Instructor

Rodrigo Cesar Da Silva Jr

All of these pilots passed their checkrides on their first attempt at New Smyrna Beach (EVB) unless otherwise noted.