Step Up to Epic

While the Epic is a massive step up and was overwhelming at times, once I got it, I got it. Am now more comfortable flying it than my Cirrus. Largest useful load w/ full fuel of any of the other options, fastest, most efficient, largest seats with most leg room and SAFEST! Safety starts first with the airframe itself. Not in features. Epic got it right from the beginning and especially with choosing the PT6 for its power plant.

Constantly fighting the bumps at lower altitude and the need to use oxygen on a regular basis got old. I always got to my destination with a small headache and flying further than 800 nautical miles was a chore. Eventually, just felt like you really weren’t getting to where you needed to be fast enough. Don’t get me wrong, I like the Cirrus product a lot. But the first time you feel the Epic jump off the ground, climbing at 3200 to 3600 feet a minute and you realize you’ve exceeded your Cirrus cruising altitude in 4 minutes. Next, being cleared to Flight Level 340 is a thrill that never gets old.

When it came time to buy my first plane, I chose a Cirrus SR22. CAPS and many other modern safety features were a great peace of mind for my wife and me. My mission began calling for additional seats. I surveyed the entire field of candidates and I continued to come back to EPIC. The key factors then and now were safety of the airframe and engine. A 100% carbon fiber airframe along with a tried and true Pratt and Whitney engine separate them from the field. Combine this with their design around the pilot and thoughtful layout make workflow consistent and easy. Then, I went to flight training and was highly impressed by the school, curriculum, and quality of the instructors. As a larger-than-average guy, I can load every seat in the plane, bags, and plenty of fuel and still be well within the envelope.

Moving from my SR22 to an Epic has been a massive improvement to the safety and confidence I have in flying. Pressurization along with 1200 SHP gets me through and over weather with ease, making my passengers far more comfortable. The payload capacity increase has been huge; we are never short of payload, even with full fuel! Missions I wouldn't even consider in the Cirrus are non-events in the Epic. It’s been a game changer in both personal and business aviation missions.

We owned two different Cirrus SR22T airplanes, both G6, and loved them! I started looking into turbine aircrafts after having a couple of uncomfortable experiences of having the piston engines start sputtering while on cross country flights. I did a lot of research, study, and test flights. I created spreadsheets with comparisons of features, safety, and performance. The plane that really stood out was the Epic E1000 GX. It flies higher, faster, carries more payload, and uses less fuel than all the others. My wife isn’t a pilot and she loved having the parachute, but the ability to climb so quickly up above the weather makes us both feel safer. Having pressurization is a game changer. I can fill all six seats and still depart with full fuel.

Moving up to 4X the HP and almost double the speed seemed intimidating at first. You quickly realize the Epic really was designed by pilots for pilots. The cockpit flow is intuitive. Takeoff checklist front and center in the wedge makes everything fluid. You don’t miss anything. This plane is simpler to fly than the SR22T for sure. The turbine engine gives you a confidence you will never get with a piston. Feels so solid and safe, because it is. Comfort and capacity of the Epic never gets old. It really does carry six adults and luggage with payload to spare. Once you have cabin class like this, you never want to go back.