Epic Flight Academy, which describes itself as the largest FAA Part 141 flight school in the United States, has opened a campus at Danbury Municipal Airport in Connecticut, its 12th flight training campus12. In its October newsletter, published on 1 October, the school said the Danbury facility is "now open" offering FAA Part 141 flight training and "has already enrolled students"1. A ribbon-cutting with the Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce is scheduled for Saturday 17 October 2026, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, at 81 Kenosia Ave., Danbury3. Visitors are invited to tour the school, meet the team, try the flight simulator and take a discovery flight3.

"Our Epic team has done a great job setting up the campus, and we're already training our first flight students," founder and chief executive Danny Perna said in the school's announcement2. The Hartford Business Journal, which reported the opening on 6 October, said Danbury is the Florida-based company's first campus in Connecticut and that it operates from the airport's Business Aircraft Center at 81 Kenosia Ave.4. The paper also explained that Part 141 schools "teach from a structured curriculum approved and overseen by the FAA."4

A towered airport close to busy airspace

Danbury Municipal Airport (KDXR) lies approximately 20 miles northwest of Bridgeport, according to FLYING, which reported the expansion on 5 October5. It is a Class D airport with two runways, 08/26 and 17/35, and multiple instrument approaches5. FAA airport records published by AirNav list runway 8/26 at 4,421 by 150 feet and runway 17/35 at 3,135 by 100 feet, a control tower, with tower and ground frequencies listed for 0700 to 2200, and the City of Danbury as owner6. The current procedure list includes RNAV (GPS) approaches to runways 08 and 266.

The airspace was part of the pitch from the start. When the move was announced in December 2025, Perna called the airport "an excellent facility for pilot training because it offers air traffic control and close proximity to all types of airspace, including Hartford, New Haven and New York."7 Epic's Danbury page says training flights will take students to Bradley International Airport in Hartford, 42 nautical miles away, and that they "might even fly into New York City airspace"8. Discovery flights at the ribbon-cutting will be flown in a Cessna 172 Skyhawk, General Aviation News reported9, and Epic says it buys all its training aircraft brand new from the factory2.

Later than first planned

The campus has opened several months after the date first given. The December 2025 announcement, credited to the City of Danbury and Epic, said the campus was "scheduled to open between April and June 2026"7, a window also reported by the local News-Times10. In January 2026, Westfair Communications reported that the school was coming to the airport "in June or July"11. At the time, Epic said it would initially occupy approximately 2,000 square feet of instructional and office space, hire 10 employees and welcome a first cohort of 30 students7.

City officials welcomed the plan. "This is exactly the type of investment that builds the future of Danbury's workforce," Mayor Roberto Alves said7. Airport administrator Michael Safranek said the school's presence "adds energy to the airport, supports future pilots and creates new opportunities for people in the region who want a solid path into aviation."7 Cindy Lovell, Epic's director of education, told Westfair that the first class would be "comprised primarily of students from the area or those who move there to train at Epic."11

Part of a wider expansion

Danbury follows a run of new sites. According to the December announcement, Epic opened five pilot training campuses in 2025, in Addison (Texas), Englewood (Colorado), St. George (Utah), Tuscaloosa (Alabama) and Provo (Utah), and also operates pilot schools in New Smyrna Beach, Ocala, Tallahassee, Jacksonville and Tucson, plus aircraft mechanic schools in New Smyrna Beach and Erlanger, Kentucky7. Founded in 1999, Epic offers FAA Part 141 and Part 61 flight training as well as Part 147 aircraft mechanic training12.

The fleet is growing as well. On 4 September, Tecnam announced that Epic had acquired two P2006T twin-engine aircraft to bolster its multi-engine training capacity, and the newsletter says they were delivered to the New Smyrna Beach campus121. "We are continually looking for ways to make flight training more affordable while maintaining the modern, technologically advanced fleet our students have come to expect from us," said Josh Rawlins, Epic's chief operating officer12. Tecnam put the school's roster at approximately 600 active flight students, while FLYING reported a total of approximately 100 flight instructors1213.

What this means for student pilots

For students in Connecticut and neighbouring states, Danbury adds a local Part 141 option. Under federal rules, the FAA may issue a pilot school certificate if, within the 24 calendar months before applying, the applicant has held a provisional pilot school certificate, has "established a pass rate of 80 percent or higher on the first attempt" on knowledge, practical and end-of-course tests and has graduated at least 10 people from its approved courses, among other conditions14. A certificated school may also train at a base other than its main operations base, provided an assistant chief instructor is designated for that base and its airport, facilities and personnel meet the Part 141 requirements15. Epic's announcements do not say how the Danbury campus is set up under these rules.

The Danbury page lists full-time training at "5 days per week, up to 2 activities per day" and a part-time option, and gives averages of about three months for a private pilot licence, two months for an instrument rating and another two months for the commercial certificate8. Those are estimates: the site states that "Training times and costs are estimates; actual results vary with student performance, weather, aircraft availability, and FAA requirements," and that "Enrollment does not guarantee certification, visa approval, employment, or specific outcomes."8 Epic has not published Danbury-specific figures for fleet size, instructor numbers or prices on its Danbury page or in its announcements, so prospective students may want to ask about aircraft and instructor availability at the campus itself. For a broader overview of training routes, see how to become a pilot.