New planes, new mechanic school, and so many epic adventures! Volume 6, Issue 4 | April 2023 Epic Orders 15 New Cessna Skyhawks Textron Aviation announced our agreement at the 2023 Sun n’ Fun Aerospace Expo to purchase 15 new Cessna Skyhawk 172 aircraft. As a Cessna Pilot Center, we purchase brand new Skyhawks exclusively for single-engine training. Since 2016, we have purchased 43 Skyhawks from the Cessna factory and are looking forward to expanding our fleet. Groundbreaking at CVG Epic Flight Academy and FEAM Aero are joining forces to build a new aircraft mechanic training facility at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG). Our official groundbreaking ceremony will take place on April 17, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. We expect the … Read more

Captain Judy Rice Library On Feb. 3rd, we celebrated Captain Judy Rice at her Epic retirement party. Captain Judy taught Ground School at Epic since 2017 and impacted many lives throughout her aviation career. She has generously shared her knowledge through teaching and articles (Captain Judy’s Corner), so we honored her immeasurable contributions to Epic students by naming our library in her honor. We love you, Captain Judy! Pictured planting kisses are Ray Altmann (L) and Mike Thompson (R). You’re invited to an Open House for our FAA Part 147 Aircraft Mechanic training facility in New Smyrna Beach on Saturday, March 4th from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Meet staff, tour the school, talk to current students, and enjoy some grilled hot dogs … Read more

Volume 6, Issue 2 | February 2023 Ribbon-Cutting at Tallahassee a Success January was a busy month, which included the launch of our third flight school. Members of the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce welcomed Epic Flight Academy with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on January 14th at Tallahassee International Airport. The event was well attended, and CommuteAir even flew in an ERJ-145 jet for folks to tour. More than 60 people signed up for discovery flights. WTXL Meteorologist Elizabeth Copeland flew with Brock Rees, Director of Satellite Operations, earlier in the week and then broadcast live from Epic the day before the event. Our third location is officially open, and flight student Cody Harrison flew the first solo flight for Epic Tallahassee! … Read more

Volume 6, Issue 1 | January 2023 Ribbon-Cutting at Tallahassee Location We’re starting the new year with a Grand Opening of our newest flight training facility at the Tallahassee International Airport on Saturday, Jan. 14th from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. We invite you to join us to learn more about our Tallahassee operations. What better way to get your questions answered than to visit us on site, meet the staff, and view our classrooms and fleet? CommuteAir will join us in Tallahassee and display their Embraer ERJ-145 jet. We will also have food and free discovery flights! Aircraft Mechanic Open House We’re also hosting an Open House at our FAA Part 147 Aircraft Mechanic training facility in New Smyrna Beach on Saturday, … Read more

Volume 5, Issue 12 | December 2022 Epic Awards $70,000 in Aviation Scholarships Scholarship winners and presenters (L-R): Landon Bosco, Epic Founder and CEO Danny Perna, Aaron Perez, New Smyrna Beach Mayor Russ Owen, and Austin White (Not pictured: Ethan Harpending and Roland Ireland) Congratulations to our 2022 aviation scholarship winners! We received dozens of applications from 13 states. Aaron Perez and Ethan Harpending each won $20,000 for aircraft mechanic training; Austin White won $20,000 for flight training; and Landon Bosco and Roland Ireland each won $5,000 for flight training. A special thank you to Piedmont Airlines for funding a $5,000 scholarship this year!  First Female Aircraft Mechanic Graduate We are so proud to congratulate Holly Ledesma, our first female A&P … Read more

Volume 5, Issue 11 | November 2022 NBAA Honors Epic COO Josh Rawlins It’s not every day that an Epic employee receives national recognition, but where Josh Rawlins is concerned, it should be. The National Business Aviation Association recognized Josh as the 2022 Business Aviation Top 40 Under 40 Award Recipient in the Maintenance category. Josh is a legend at Epic. Hired when still a teenager, he began his career at Epic sweeping hangars and doing whatever was needed. He soon apprenticed as an A&P mechanic, launching him on a path of distinction. Today, Josh serves as Epic’s COO and Director of the Aircraft Mechanic Program. We celebrate his achievements and are grateful for his dedication to Epic students. We congratulate … Read more

Volume 5, Issue 10 | October 2022 Orlando Sentinel Recognizes Epic as Top Workplace The Orlando Sentinel newspaper recognized Epic Flight Academy as a Top Workplace on Friday, September 16th at an awards ceremony in Orlando, Florida. Epic was recognized in the “Small Employer Group.” Founder and CEO Danny Perna said, “When we started in 1999, we never imagined the company would grow to multiple locations and more than 100 employees, but we’ve always been fortunate to hire great people. For our staff to weigh in on what it means to work at Epic meant so much. We value their feedback and hope to continue making Epic a great place to work.” Aircraft Mechanic Students Graduate as New Class Begins Congratulations to … Read more

Volume 5, Issue 9 | September 2022 First Graduating Class of Aircraft Mechanics On July 28, 2022, the graduating class of seven aircraft mechanic students celebrated months of hard work in a graduation ceremony at the school after completing all coursework. They are: (L-R) Luke Hartpence, Damon Vallas, Michael Azarian, Chris Gavigan, Artem Ukolov, Aiden Skau, and Scott Cavato. Epic’s FAA Part 147 school launched during the outset of the pandemic, creating initial challenges. However, the first class pressed on to become FAA-certified A&P mechanics. Best of all, each of these freshly minted AMTs received job offers immediately upon graduation. Congratulations! International Aircraft Mechanic Students In other Part 147 news, the Department of State has authorized Epic to issue M1 visas for … Read more