Epic Aircraft's Epic Tour Concludes
by Megan Esau
July 27, 2016 - Epic Aircraft celebrated the conclusion of its Epic Odyssey World Tour and the upcoming certification of the new E1000 Tuesday afternoon at its exhibit on Celebration Way.
CEO Doug King said the around-the-world tour, which visited 21 cities over 21 days for a total of 51.1 flight hours, helped validate the performance of Epic’s aircraft while providing its customers a chance to build on their skills and international flying experience.
“The world tour lived up to name in every way … and we all became better pilots on this journey,” he said. Twenty-six people and six airplanes participated on the 16,740 nm tour.
Homebuilt Epic LT aircraft owners Alan and Wendy Barron said the trip was both a unique and challenging experience.
“We learned a lot about flying internationally,” Alan said. “We learned that the U.S. is the best place for aviation. It’s so much better, easier, friendlier, and it makes sense.”
He said the trip also taught him a lot about his airplane’s capabilities, including flying a 1,200-mile leg in 4.5 hours and landing with 100 gallons of fuel left.
“[Purchasing an Epic] was the best decision I’ve ever made on an airplane, no doubt about it,” Alan said. “We averaged nearly 320 knots, that’s with takeoff and landing. That’s crazy.”
Epic plans to have its E1000 certified in the spring 2017 time frame and plans on producing 50 airplanes per year once full production is reached. The E1000 will be the first certified Epic aircraft and is priced at $2.95 million fully equipped.
