Epic Buzz Vol. 9 Issue 5 | May 2026

CVG Graduates

Congratulations to our newest Aircraft Mechanic graduates at Epic’s Cincinnati/Norther Kentucky International Airport (CVG) campus! These students completed FAA Part 147 training to earn their Airframe and Powerplant certifications. They began training on August 19, 2024 and graduated on April 9, 2026. We wish them all the best as they go forward to exciting new careers!

AMC Mechanic Competition

Aircraft mechanic students from our New Smyrna Beach campus participated in the 2026 Aerospace Maintenance Council Competition in Orlando, Florida and showed off their skills alongside major airline mechanics! The future of aircraft maintenance is in good hands!

New Pilots Arrive at EVB

We welcomed new flight students across all campuses last month including this group at New Smyrna Beach, Florida. As the largest FAA Part 141 flight school in the U.S., Epic offers training from private pilot through multi-engine instructor.

Alumni News: Career Updates

Epic has trained thousands of pilots from more than 110 countries who now fly for more than 300 airlines. Sharing their career milestones is always a point of pride for us. Congratulations to these 12 Epic pilots who followed their dream and are now soaring in their careers! If you trained at Epic as a pilot or aircraft mechanic, please send us an update!

Mauricio Acosta

Congratulations to Epic graduate Mauricio Acosta who is now a First Officer at Clic Air flying the ATR 72-600!

Diego Aguila

Diego Aguila just finished initial First Officer training at CommuteAir. Diego earned his CFI and CFI-I ratings at Epic. While serving as a flight instructor at Epic, he had 12 first time passes in a row!

Ryan Bailey

Ryan Bailey is living the dream as a First Officer flying the E175 at SkyWest Airlines! During his time at Epic, Ryan earned his instrument, commercial single-engine, commercial multi-engine, and certified flight instructor ratings.

Orgil Enkhtur

Congratulations to Epic graduate Orgil Enkhtur who is now a First Officer flying the Bombardier CRJ-700 for MIAT Mongolian Airlines! Orgil earned his instrument and commercial multi-engine ratings at Epic in 2023 and 2024.

Parker Garrett

Epic alum Parker Garrett is now a First Officer flying the B757/767 for Asia Pacific Airlines!

Parker shared these thoughts about his time at Epic, where he earned 3 ratings (IR, CSEL, CFI): “Epic Flight Academy creates a foundation of self-development in an ever so changing industry. The instructors and management personnel pave the way through wisdom and experience and provide an institution that excels in learning and success.”

Muhammad Adwa Hariz Abd Hamid

Shoutout to Epic graduate Muhammad Adwa Hariz Abd Hamid who is a First Officer flying the B737 NG for Batik Air Malaysia!

Muhammad earned his private, instrument, and commercial multi-engine ratings at Epic.

Jeff Knipe

Jeff Knipe recently completed airline training for PSA Airlines! He is a First Officer officially type-rated on the CRJ7/9.

Jeff earned his IR, CSEL, CMEL, CFI, CFI-I, and MEI at Epic and helped many students earn their wings.

Hoang Mai

Congratulations to Hoang Mai who is now a Captain flying the Airbus A321 for Vietnam Airlines!

He shared, “I am proud to be a 2015 Epic graduate. The high-quality training I received provided the perfect foundation for my career as an Airbus A321 Captain for Vietnam Airlines. Epic’s growth over the years is truly impressive, and I highly recommend the academy to any aspiring pilot looking to build a professional career in aviation.”

Omar Perez Donato & Bryan Cintron Nieves

Captain Omar Perez Donato (L) and First Officer Bryan Cintron Nieves (R) both started at Epic and are now flying together for the first time at Breeze Airways. We love moments like this!

Caleb Sexton

Join us in congratulating First Officer Caleb Sexton who flies the Hawker 900XP (HS-125) for Corporate Eagle Management Services! Corporate aviation offers exciting careers, and Caleb has certainly landed in a good spot!

Jordan Weinstein

Jordan Weinstein is now type-rated and qualified on “The Queen of the Skies” – the B747-400. Jordan is starting as a First Officer for the cargo airline Kalitta Air, and we are so excited for him. Jordan earned his PPL, IR, CSEL, CFI, CFII, and CMEL at Epic. He also worked here as a flight instructor sharing his knowledge with others.

May Training Specials

Have you dreamed of becoming a pilot or an aircraft mechanic? Our programs are FAA-certified, and with the great specials we’re offering this month, this is a great time to start your training! Our knowledgeable and helpful recruiters will help you find the training program that is best for you!

Discover Flying

Did you know you can take a Discovery Flight to see if flying an airplane really is for you? You’ll get to take the controls under the careful supervision of an Epic flight instructor. Reserve your Discovery Flight today! You can even log the time in your logbook!

Career Seminar

Airline representatives frequently visit Epic campuses to share career opportunities. Here, an Envoy Air recruiter meets with aircraft mechanic students at our CVG campus in Erlanger, Kentucky.

Epic Outreach

We love attending career fairs, visiting schools, and hosting field trips. Let us know how we can share aviation with your organization!

Kayla Blankenship, Troy Brevik, and Brenden Dominguez from our Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport campus represented Epic’s Aircraft Mechanic Program at the 2026 SkillsUp event, giving middle school students a hands-on look at aviation maintenance.  

Brenden and Kayla also represented Epic at the CVG Airport Career Fair last month!

Abe Nickle and Blake Pottle attended an educational fair at a local school in St. George, Utah, introducing flight training as a career path to the next generation of pilots. It was a great time connecting with students and talking all things aviation!

Student Appreciation

Epic regularly hosts student appreciation events. Here are a few recent gatherings of good times, good food, and good memories!

On Easter morning, our New Smyrna Beach flight students and staff enjoyed a buffet breakfast to get their day started!

Student appreciation event in Addison, Texas! Flight students enjoyed delicious food from Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar, and we held an aviation trivia contest with the top 3 students winning prizes. We love our students!

Our team at the Centennial Airport campus near Denver recently hosted a Student Appreciation Night at SportyPickle. We know how to have fun even when we’re not flying!

When you work hard, it’s nice to pause and have a little fun, especially when that fun is an Ice Cream Social! Students at our Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport aircraft mechanic school enjoyed ice cream and all the toppings! Sprinkles, anyone?

New Articles

Captain Stephen Austin has shared his expertise in two new articles and videos: 1) Cockpit Discipline and 2) Airline Comparison: Regional, Major, Cargo, and Corporate Pilot Careers. Gain insights on these two critical topics from an expert.

First Prize in Wing Fabrication

Congratulations to the team members (L-R) Jaxen Harris, Blaike Daugherty, and Ferra Acosta Gilsander for earning 1st place on their wing fabrication project at our Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport aircraft mechanic school! A little friendly competition in class brings out the best!

Epic Events

Mark your calendar and join us for an upcoming event near you!

• May 9: Tuscaloosa, Alabama Open House
• May 30: Provo, Utah Open House
• June 6: Ocala, Florida Open House

Pass Lists

Aircraft Mechanic Passes in April

Airframe

Anthony Cooney (CVG)
Zachary Decker (EVB)
Andrew Kent (CVG)
Ron Lotz (EVB)
Ronin Moore (CVG)

Pilot First-Attempt Passes in April

Private Pilot

Brody Samuel Pezza
Bronson Aiden Myers
Casey James Sullivan (APA)
Alan Quinn Green (SGU)
Sanjay Karthik (OCF)
Lillian Kay Kirkland
Clark David Felvus
Matthew Edward Swartz (ADS)
Benjamin Bo Cannon (HEG)
Hayden Alexander Novak (SGU)

Instrument Rating

Maximus Gjini
Lawrence E Johnson (TUS)
Ian Loring Johnson
William Cole Bakeman (TUS)
Nicholas Richard Klauss (TUS)
Aaron Esteban Soto
Ethan James Henry
Jesse James Bobeck
Batmunkh Batbayar
Jack Allan Wetzel

Commercial Single-Engine

Sydney Elaine Wilke
Shemuel Ben Joel Ortiz
Noah Alexander Preuss (TUS)
Luke McRay Robinson (OCF)
Philip Avery Miller
Lincoln Alexander Ulman
Anthony Douglas Keller
Emmanuel Moheb Gabriel
Malik Authwell Stevens
Kyle Glenn Piccirello
Andrew Brunner
Naomi Bizen
James McKeown Obeng-Gyasi
Dylan Don Peterson
Kane Eric Vasquez (ADS)
Joshua Westin Smith
Kishankumar Jitendra Patel
Oscar Andres Jimenez Lopez
Daniel Sebastian Orjuela

Commercial Multi-Engine

Connor Douglas Massey
Felix David Rodriguez Francisco
Jordan Nicholas Loiseau
Tanner McCoy Jones
Chung-Wen Lin
Reed Gordon Harvin
Tyler Akkicha Moore
Arthur Wilhelm Mattle
Weston Lee Pollard
Edward Kevin Tolentino Cosio
Rafaella Cereser

Certified Flight Instructor

Jakob Ryan Gamble
Xuan Canh Tran (TUS)
Binh Hoang Thai Le
Joshua Daniel Idzikowski (TUS)
Isaac Alan Stover (SGU)
Kyle Irwin McCane
Ashlyn Elizabeth MacVeigh
Connor Douglas Frisch
Victor Miguel Venegas
Ana Constanza Vazquez Martinez
Wesley Robert Glaser (TLH)
Luis Alejandro Colon Pena
Paula Toledo Toso
Ellie Oneal Brannan (TLH)
Matthew George Morandi

Certified Flight Instructor – Instrument

Lane Gregory Rolfs
Alyssa Nicole Black
Dean Virender Hunsberger
Jacob Tyler Dunaway
Noah Jacob Burrows
Marco David Kilchenman
Maxwell Bradley Warhold
Timothy Malachi Lahey
Caleb Daneil Gau (ADS)
Paula Toledo Toso

Multi-Engine Instructor

Noah Dumont Dovin
Brandon David Chavannes
Karina Marie Ortiz Munoz
Michael Alfred Schneider
Anastasia Ceca McElroy

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