FlyEpic's Fractional and Card Programs on the E1000 Turboprop

FlyEpic has introduced a fractional ownership and card program on the 4-passenger Epic E1000 turboprop. Launching with a specific geographic focus in the Western United States and Mountain time zones, the company provides a more economical alternative to larger turboprops and light-cabin business jets. SherpaReport talked with FlyEpic CEO, Toby Woods, to discuss the launch, service and vision for this new fractional provider.

Company Background and Fleet

FlyEpic was founded in 2025 by a leadership team with roots in aerospace manufacturing and aviation operations. The company’s owner, Tanya Eves, also owns Epic Aircraft, the manufacturer of the E1000. This provides FlyEpic with direct access to factory maintenance, engineering support, and an established parts supply chain, potentially mitigating many of the dispatch-reliability challenges that often affect new boutique fleet operators. Both Tanya and CEO Toby Woods are also pilots.

FlyEpic currently operates a fleet of three E1000 aircraft, and has a goal of getting to a 30 aircraft national program in five years. Pilot training and aircraft maintenance are carried out in Bend, Oregon, where both FlyEpic and Epic Aircraft have their headquarters.

The Epic E1000 Overview and Specifications

The Epic E1000 GX is an all-composite, single-engine turboprop designed to deliver almost light-jet performance alongside turboprop efficiency. For flyers and fractional buyers, the aircraft presents a balance of cabin comfort, speed, and airfield flexibility for trips of under 1,200 miles and 4 or fewer passengers.

• Performance and Flight Characteristics

Powered by the Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67A, part of the venerable and reliable PT6 family, the engine produces 1,200 horsepower, giving the E1000 a maximum cruise speed of 333 knots (383 mph). The aircraft features a maximum range of 1,560 nautical miles (1,795 miles, 2,890 km) under optimal cruise configurations, making it highly effective for nonstop regional missions such as Los Angeles to Aspen or Seattle to San Francisco. With a service ceiling of 34,000 feet, the E1000 routinely flies above most regional weather disruptions, ensuring a smoother passenger experience.

And with both takeoff and landing distances of under 2,500 feet, the E1000 can access a lot of smaller airports. Or as Toby Woods simply noted “we can get into multiple airports and runways that the larger planes can’t get into.”

• Cabin Environment and Capacity

The pressurized cabin is configured to accommodate a pilot and up to five passengers in an ergonomic club-seating arrangement, although FlyEpic always flys with two pilots, leaving 4 passenger seats in the cabin. Built from advanced carbon fiber composites, the fuselage design allows for larger passenger windows and a wider cross-section than traditional metal airframes in this class.

E1000 Fractional Ownership Program

Like many other fractional aircraft ownership programs, FlyEpic offers shares starting at a 1/16th ownership, which equates to 50 flight hours per year.

The program features include:

• Guaranteed Availability: Owners are guaranteed aircraft access with a standard notice period of 24 hours for flights within the primary service area.
• Primary Service Area: Ten Western and Rocky Mountain states of AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, and WY.
• Secondary Service Area: The rest of the continental U.S has a 48-hour notice period and a 1.3x hourly rate. International flights to Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean are also 48-hour notice and 1.3x hourly rate.
• Peak Days: There are 10 designated peak travel days per year which have a 30-day advance booking period and a 1.3x rate.
• Interchange Rights: While buyers purchase a share in a specific tail number, they have the rights to utilize any identical aircraft within the fleet.
• Management: Fly Epic handles all operational details, including pilot recruitment, continuous training, hull insurance, hangarage, and compliance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations.

Fractional Costs

As with other fractional programs, the cost structure has three main components: 1. the initial capital acquisition cost of the share, 2. a monthly management fee covering indirect expenses such as pilot salaries, insurance, hangar fees, and administrative costs, 3. an occupied hourly rate for flight time, covering fuel, engine reserves, and direct maintenance. There may also be a fuel surcharge depending on fuel prices, but the program starts with a relatively high base.

Toby Woods noted that one of their first customers already owns a share in a mid-size jet with a larger fractional provider but sees the value of the E1000 for shorter flights.

The 25-Hour Card Program

FlyEpic also offers an introductory fixed-rate 25-hour card program, which it views as a gateway to fractional ownership. Cardholders purchase a block of 25 flight hours at a current price of $112,500, equivalent to an hourly rate of $4,500. In Toby Woods' words, the card allows customers to get a feel for FlyEpic and answer questions like “let me see what the Epic E1000 is like, what my family thinks about it, how it serves my mission, how it compares to the Pilatus?”

The card price is fully inclusive of standard fuel and operational costs, though dynamic fuel surcharges may apply depending on market volatility, and it operates within the same primary service area as fractional ownership.

West Coast and Mountain Zones

The primary service area focuses on the West Coast and Mountain time zones, with premium pricing for flights outside this area. By focusing operations on a tight geographic footprint, FlyEpic optimizes crew positioning, minimizes empty repositioning legs ("deadheads"), and ensures high fleet utilization across its aircraft.

“Our launch markets are focused on the Bay Area and Southern California, and finding that short-hop regional traveler, and getting people up to the mountains, and in Lake Tahoe, and in Mammoth,” notes Toby Woods.

The company intends to expand eastward organically only after establishing a stable operational footprint and achieving consistent density metrics in the West.