Epic Flight Academy Opens New Location in Florida

The event was marked by visits from members of the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce and the community, who came out for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and discovery flights.

“We flew six discovery flights until the winds picked up, so we took down names from everyone who didn’t have the opportunity and will take them up on another day," said Brock Rees, manager of satellite operations for Epic Flight Academy. Rees described the event as "a great success," thanking the Chamber and airport personnel for their support.

One of the highlights of the event was the display of an Embraer ERJ-145 belonging to CommuteAir, a regional airline operating for United Airlines. CommuteAir and United Airlines are two of Epic's recruiting partners.

Danny Perna, Epic founder and CEO, was pleased with the open house.

“The Epic team did a great job opening the school and hosting this event. I’m incredibly proud of them and grateful to Tallahassee for the warm welcome," Perna said. “We chose Tallahassee as our third location because of its great facilities and proximity to other airports. We train hundreds of airline pilots each year, and it’s important for them to train in all types of airspace.”

Epic Flight Academy was founded in 1999, and employs 150 people. The students train in Cessna 172 Skyhawks, Piper PA-44 Seminoles, and a variety of AATDs. The main campus is located at the New Smyrna Beach Airport (KEVB), and includes Epic's Part 147 aircraft mechanic training facility. Epic also has a satellite flight school at Ocala International Airport (KOCF).