Epic Flight Academy, a US flight and aircraft mechanic school headquartered in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, is bringing two career seminars to Colombia this week1. The first is in Bogotá on Friday 23 October, from 18:00 to 20:00 at the Hotel GHL Collection 932. The second is in Medellín on Sunday 25 October, from 13:00 to 15:00 at the Hotel Park 10 in El Poblado3. At both, Epic representatives will present the school's flight training, its aircraft mechanic training and aviation career opportunities23.

In its October newsletter, Epic says it has trained many students from Colombia and invites anyone living in Colombia who is thinking about a career in aviation to come and meet the team, with places reserved through a QR code4. AFM.aero, which reported the dates on 19 October, says both sessions will be held in English and will feature Epic instructors as well as representatives1. The visit follows the plans AFM.aero reported in August, when Epic said it intended to meet aspiring pilots in Colombia before the end of 20265.

Who is Epic Flight Academy

Epic has provided FAA-approved flight training for international students since 1999 and says thousands of students from more than 110 countries have graduated from the school6. The FAA's facility dashboard lists Epic Aviation, Inc, doing business as Epic Flight Academy, as a 14 CFR Part 141 pilot school under certificate EPXS700K, with its main base at 600 Skyline Drive in New Smyrna Beach and satellite locations in Florida, Texas, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Alabama and Connecticut7. Epic's October newsletter describes Danbury, Connecticut as its 12th and newest flight training campus4.

At New Smyrna Beach, students fly the Cessna 172 Skyhawk with a G1000 glass cockpit and train for the multi-engine rating on the Piper PA-44 Seminole8. The school recently took delivery of two Tecnam P2006T twins there4. Alongside pilot training, Epic runs an FAA Part 147 aircraft mechanic programme that takes 15 months9, taught at its campuses at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and New Smyrna Beach4.

Part 141 status matters when you compare schools. The FAA says approved pilot schools must meet prescribed standards for equipment, facilities, personnel and curricula, and that training at an approved school can lower the minimum flight hours: the private pilot requirement is normally 40 hours, but may be reduced to 3510.

The route Epic offers Colombian students

Epic markets a dedicated Colombian Pilot Program in which students complete FAA training in the United States and then convert their licences with Colombia's civil aviation authority, Aerocivil11. On that programme page, Epic asks that students are at least 18, hold a high school diploma or equivalent, can obtain an FAA medical certificate, are proficient in English, hold a passport valid for at least six more months, obtain an M1 visa and can study full time, five days a week11. Students who speak English as a second language can take English tutoring and Aviation English during ground school11.

The international programme runs from the Private Pilot Licence course (3 months) through the Instrument Rating (2 months) to a single or multi-engine Commercial Pilot Licence (2 months), followed by time building as needed12. Epic says it takes students to commercial pilot in about eight months on average11. Before travelling, students can start on Epic's online Virtual Flight Academy, which connects them with FAA flight instructors and classmates1211.

For the Colombian conversion, Epic lists what to log while still in Florida: at least 150 flight hours, 70 hours as pilot in command, 20 hours cross-country including one flight of 300 nm or more with two landings, 10 hours of dual instrument training and 5 hours at night with 5 take-offs and landings11. Back in Colombia come a medical exam, a ground review of subjects such as navigation, regulations and meteorology, simulator training and a simulator check ride, two hours of flight training and a flight with an inspector11. Epic adds that Colombian airlines generally require at least 250 hours in total, so students who finish their commercial training within the estimated 140 hours typically need about 110 more hours of time building11.

What it costs

Epic publishes tuition for its Airline Pilot Program for international students: 85,597 US dollars from zero experience, 49,450 dollars when starting with the instrument course and 26,475 dollars when starting with the commercial multi-engine course1211. On top of tuition comes a visa processing fee, which Epic says covers the SEVIS I-901 government fee, I-20 processing, the incoming student package, access to the online academy and an English assessment6. The US government sets the I-901 SEVIS fee for F and M visa applicants at 350 dollars13. Epic has some housing for rent at New Smyrna Beach, with a bus to campus, and keeps a list of nearby housing8.

The M-1 visa

Flight students from abroad train in the United States on an M-1 vocational student visa. Epic's admissions team helps schedule the interview at the nearest US embassy, and the school says the visa stamp typically follows within 5 to 7 business days of submitting the passport once the visa is granted6. The process starts with a Form I-20 from a school certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program; the I-901 fee must be paid before entering the US, M-1 visas can be issued up to 365 days before the course starts and students may enter up to 30 days before the start date14.

The M-1 rules shape the whole plan. Under US regulations, an M-1 student is admitted for the length of the course plus any practical training plus 30 days, up to one year, and extensions are capped at three years (plus 30 days) from the original start date15. M-1 students may not take a job, except practical training after completing the course: one month for every four months of full-time study, to a maximum of six months15. That practical training needs an employment authorisation document from USCIS and must relate to the course of study15. Paid work in the US, such as instructing to build hours, is therefore possible only as authorised practical training, within the overall limit on the stay15.

What this means for aspiring pilots in Latin America

For readers in Colombia and the wider region, the seminars are a chance to put the key questions to the school in person: how long the full route takes in practice, how and where the extra hours for an airline application will be built, and what the total budget looks like once the licence conversion at home is included. Epic's own overview lists hiring requirements for Colombian operators such as Avianca, LATAM Airlines Colombia, Wingo and SATENA, and names Maria Támara Mendivelso, an Epic graduate who flies for Avianca11.

Epic Flight Academy has a profile in our flight school directory, next to the other FAA-approved schools in the United States. For the bigger picture, read our guide to pilot training costs and see what Avianca looks for in pilots.

Frequently asked questions

When and where are the Epic Flight Academy seminars in Colombia?

In Bogotá on Friday 23 October 2026 from 18:00 to 20:00 at the Hotel GHL Collection 93, and in Medellín on Sunday 25 October 2026 from 13:00 to 15:00 at the Hotel Park 10 in El Poblado23.

Which visa do Colombian students need to train at Epic?

An M-1 student visa, based on a Form I-20 issued by the school1114.

How much does Epic's airline pilot programme cost for international students?

Epic lists tuition of 85,597 US dollars for its zero-experience course, with lower prices for students who start with the instrument or commercial multi-engine course12.