Epic Buzz Vol. 9 Issue 8 | August 2026

Textron Aviation Selects Epic as Launch Partner for Pipistrel Voyager: Announcement at Oshkosh

Our fleet is expanding! On July 20th, 2026 at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Textron Aviation announced Epic Flight Academy as the launch partner for the new Pipistrel Voyager, which supports flight training under MOSAIC (Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification), a set of FAA regulations meant to revolutionize general aviation.

Epic will receive its first 10 Voyagers in 2027 with options on an additional 20 in 2028 and another 20 in 2029. AOPA and others shared the news!

Welcome to New Students

Epic welcomed 22 new flight students to the New Smyrna Beach (EVB) campus last month as well as new students at our other campuses around the country. Students can begin training at any phase in their aviation journey, from private pilot through multi-engine instructor.

CFI Ground School Graduates

This smiling group of pilots just completed CFI ground school on their journey to become Certified Flight Instructors. Soon they’ll be able to share their knowledge and skills with others.

Aircraft Mechanics

Whether training at our Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) campus or the New Smyrna Beach (EVB) campus, our students appreciate hands-on learning. Our FAA-certified program takes 15 months to complete.

CVG News

We are so proud of our aircraft mechanic students at the CVG campus who used their skills to refurbish these bicycles for a Covington, Kentucky family. What a great way to hone their skills and serve the community!

Congratulations to Eric Gibson, an aircraft mechanic student at our CVG campus! Eric was recognized with a Professionalism Award for going above and beyond on his own time to help other students study and learn the material. Great job, Eric!

August Specials

We are happy to share some great flight training specials this month to meet your unique needs. Check them out, and our admissions team will be happy to answer questions and guide your enrollment process. If you’ve been waiting for the right time to enroll, this is it!

Epic Alumni Career Updates

Something we love about sharing alumni news is that it gives a glimpse of the future to our current students. When you seen an Epic graduate living the dream, you know your hard work will pay off. Here are a few updates we received recently.

Sofia Jaramillo

Sofia Jaramillo is now a First Officer flying the A320 for LATAM Airlines. Here at Epic, Sofia earned her PPL, IR, and CMEL.

Sofia shared this advice for others:

“Aviation is the most incredible career, but it requires discipline, patience, and consistency. There will be challenging days, but don’t let them make you forget why you started. Trust the process, and mostly, enjoy every stage of the journey!”

She also shared her thoughts on Epic:

“Epic gave me a strong foundation to begin my professional aviation career. The training helped me grow both as a pilot and as a person. And I’m so grateful to everyone at Epic who played a part in helping me take the first steps toward achieving my dream.”

Chris Lambert

We also heard from Chris Lambert who graduated from Epic’s Aircraft Mechanic Program. Chris is now an Assembly and Test Technician for GE Aerospace. His advice to all mechanic students? “Be a sponge!”

Reachta Lim

Reachta Lim is a First Officer flying the A320 for AirAsia. While at Epic, he earned his PPL, IR, and CMEL.

Reachta’s advice for Epic flight students:

“Stay resilient and never stop learning. Flight training is filled with challenges, and mistakes are part of the journey. Every lesson, every flight, and every setback is an opportunity to grow. Keep an open mind, ask questions, learn from every experience, and trust the process. The pilots who succeed aren’t the ones who never struggle, they’re the ones who keep learning and keep moving forward.”

Kevin Lin

Kevin Lin trained at Epic’s New Smyrna Beach aircraft mechanic school and is now an MRO Engine Mechanic 1 at Chromalloy.

He shared this perspective about his time at Epic:

“This school was great because I was able to let my curiosity fly and and sought lots of advice from classmate experiences and instructor knowledge. Coming to this school was all about the people. Don’t underestimate your fellow classmates – they have perspectives to enrich your life.”

Adhiraj Rajbanshi

Adhiraj Rajbanshi is a First Officer flying the AT75 for Yeti Airlines. He earned his IR, CSEL, and CMEL at Epic.

Adhiraj shared this memory from his time at Epic:

“During a turbulent 2020, Epic gave me and many others the course correction to find the most favourable winds. Thank you, Epic!”

We love hearing from our graduates! Wherever you are in the world, we invite you to send us a career update!

Epic Outreach

Stillman College Visit to TCL

A student participating in a summer program at Stillman College prepares for his first flight at our Tuscaloosa campus. Hosting school groups is always a thrill for us. We appreciate the opportunity to introduce others to aviation, whether through a discovery flight or a field trip.

OBAP Dallas Maintenance Aerospace Career Education

We coordinated a discovery flight day with the OBAP Dallas Maintenance Aerospace Career Education (ACE) Academy at our Addison campus last month. Our regional partner, Commuteair, helped coordinate this opportunity.

Cole Ward, our Addison site manager, attended one of the local ACE Academy classes when he was younger, so this was an amazing full circle moment!

Daytona Aviation Summer Camp

We recently welcomed the Daytona Aviation Summer Camp to our New Smyrna Beach, Florida campuses.

Students enjoyed exploring a flight simulator at the flight school and checking out hands-on demonstrations at the aircraft mechanic school. Field trips are a great way to introduce students to aviation.

World Cup Watch Party

Epic Flight Students come from all over the world, and it was great to host a watch party for the World Cup final game! Camaraderie, friendship, and good food!

New Article: Time Building

Chief Flight Instructor Ray Altmann has shared a new article explaining time building for pilots. Learn about FAA requirements and the best way to build time.

Pass Lists

Aircraft Mechanic Passes in July

Airframe

Gilsander Ferra Acosta (CVG)
Landen Dirkes (CVG)
Carson Schultz (CVG)

Powerplant

Robert Brown (EVB)
Parker Pittman (EVB)
Richard Raymos (EVB)

Pilot First-Attempt Passes in July

Private Pilot

Matthew Khan
Timothy James Nolan
Joseph Myron Kowalsky
Max Ndunda Orina
Jeremiah Ainsley Ricketts (OCF)
Melanie Ruth Nadle
Yotam Avraham Ben Yishai
Carson Michael Goeser (SGU)
Maxwell Martin Wittenberg (SGU)
Oudomdavid Vuthy
Tomas Escobar (ADS)
Schuyler Reid DeGonza
Riana Christine Manlapaz (HEG)
Jacob Steven Fous (APA)
Matthew Bird Rivera
Ivan Villalvazo
Kimberly Cheyenne Desmarais (TUS)
Kristi Anne Thunell (SGU)

Instrument Rating

Andres Elias Perez
Felipe Paredes
Bryant Mortensen Hadfield
Owen Michael Nellis
Steven Paul Snider II
Mohamed Yasser Said Ibrahim Aboumoussa
Matthew Grant Gunter
McKinley Charles Robertson
Hamid Emmanuel Palacios (OCF)
Sophia Lin (HEG)
Andrew Reagan Jernigan (TLH)
Robert Philip DeForest
Abdullah Saif S Alqahtani
Benjamin Jewkes VaNnoy (PVU)

Commercial Single-Engine

Leia Kekaumahinaikalani Kamaka
Brandon Edwin Maggio
Nicholas Richard Klauss
Chandler Wade DeGarmo (OCF)
Zack Edmund Stover (SGU)
Tutu Muturi Maina
Randall Scott Longbottom
Ethan James Henry
Benjamin Daniel Noble
Layton Joseph Harrell
Derick Raymond Ogg
Riley Harrison Hyde (TLH)
Blake Robert Nelson
Dakota Alan Beckworth (OCF)
Kenneth Raymond Jaquith Jr (OCF)
Charles Gustaf Lundgren (HEG)
Zachary Harrison Hammer
Jeronimo Vanegas
Lora Shin
Tyler James Perkins (TLH)
Diego Francisco Nieto Jimenez
Yun Jhean Han Rivera Dent

Commercial Multi-Engine

Ngoc Bao Uyen Phan
Jarod Brody Bachman
Victor Miguel Venegas
Jose Emanuel Jimenez Rodriguez
Gireendra Achaibar
Triston Allen

Certified Flight Instructor

Madelyn Ryann Van Ness
Logan Harle Easter
Asa Garrett Flowers
Noah Alexander Preuss (TUS)
Zachary John Nolan
Javier Enrigue Rodriguez Guilarte
Kaylee Ann Davis
Nicholas Anthony Batchelor (OCF)
Trey Anthony Kovalick
Brendan Scott Johnson
Samuel John Greshin
Alexander Agosto (OCF)
Mina George Mikhail
Wyatt Keoni Letender (OCF)

Certified Flight Instructor – Instrument

Jonathan Thomas Dupell
Charles Blakely Dawson
Onurcan Unal
Kevin Luke Steinmann
Ana Constanza Vazquez Martinez
Adith Dilipkumar Chakkamadathil
Andrew Peter Bump
Taylor MacKenna Foster

Multi-Engine Instructor

Tyler Scott Pearce

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