Epic Aircraft has announced two support partnerships for its new E1000 GX turboprop single. The OEM has selected Frasca International to build the first simulator for its flight training program. It will be constructed around an authentic Epic cockpit including the Garmin G1000 NXi avionics suite and GFC 700 automatic flight control system. It will provide, among other features, a three-channel visual system with a 220-by-58-degree spherical enclosure, custom visual databases, and an instructor operator station, and is expected to be installed at Epic’s flight training center in Bend, Oregon by the fourth quarter of 2021.
“We expect to shift the majority of initial and recurrent training hours from the airplane to the simulator, which will tremendously reduce costs and greatly enhance our ability to realistically simulate emergency procedures and system failure scenarios,” said Doug King, the airframer’s CEO. “That means our customers will be better trained and better prepared to safely and confidently operate in this high-performance environment.”
Epic also announced it will work with aviation software and solutions provider ATP, using its Flightdocs platform for maintenance tracking and electronic logbooks across the E1000 GX fleet, and the ATP Aviation Hub for distribution of technical publications such as maintenance manuals, wiring diagrams, and illustrated parts catalogs. All E1000 GX aircraft will include subscriptions to both fully-integrated platforms.