Virtual Event: CEO Flies Epic Aircraft’s Speed Demon Turboprop

FIRESIDE CHAT TOPIC: How Epic Aircraft CEO Doug King focuses his company’s culture on their passion for aviation.

DETAILS: FLYING’s Thom Patterson talks with CEO Doug King about Epic Aircraft’s original E1000 single-engine turboprop, which won FLYING’s 2020 Innovation Award. King opens up about how he makes flying the new E1000 GX a part of his everyday life.

SPEAKER: King is CEO of Epic Aircraft.

BIO: Prior to joining Epic Aircraft, Doug King owned several highly successful transaction processing and computer services businesses in Southern California. He was instrumental in revitalizing the operations of Syncro Aircraft in Van Nuys, California, a premier business jet refurbishment center on the west coast that specializes in Gulfstream, Learjet, Hawker, Boeing and Dassault Falcon aircraft. Initially involved with Epic Aircraft as an LT aircraft owner, King organized a group of dedicated customers to purchase Epic out of bankruptcy, establishing himself as managing partner. In 2012, King assumed the role of CEO, guiding the company’s certification efforts and successfully certifying Epic E1000 industry-leading carbon fiber aircraft in November 2019, and the E1000 GX in July 2021.

KEY QUOTES FROM KING:

“[The Epic E1000 GX is] an amazing plane. I just went up to Coeur d’Alene. It’s about 280 nm—a pretty short flight. But the thing climbs so great. I went ahead and went all the way up to flight level 330 [33,000 feet] on the way up and 340 [34,000 feet] on the way back, sipping fuel at less than 50 gallons an hour and going over 300 knots [345 mph]. It’s just one of the most efficient machines. It’s a joy to fly. So smooth and quiet. It’s really fantastic.”

“This summer after Oshkosh, I jumped in one of the airplanes and flew around the world. So I had a great trip, bringing some interesting pilots along with me at various stages. … It was a chance to show off the airplane and go all the way across Russia, and back through Alaska, and down back to Bend, Oregon. So it was a complete lap and I really had a great time—48 flights, 10 countries.”

“I’ve made flying part of my business. Whether I was working in software in computers, or doing something in the aviation business, flying airplanes—GA—has always been a part of it. I still own a Cessna 182 that I let the employees here fly. We have a little flying club and our engineers and technicians love to fly. Epic is all about the passion of aviation and the people in it are super passionate. It’s a fun place.”