For a new series of articles this year, we are diving into the history, inner workings, and leaders behind some of the most well-known service companies in general aviation. Chances are you have taken your airplane to one, if not multiple, of the businesses to be featured. One company will be highlighted per issue and are either an FBO, MRO, or aircraft sales organization – with a few encompassing all of the above.
Epps Aviation falls under the latter category and kicks off this “Company Chronicles” series on page 18. Epps offers a rich and fascinating history dating all the way back to 1909 when Ben T. Epps of Athens, Georgia, designed and flew his own aircraft – just a few years after the Wright brothers flew their first controlled flight at Kitty Hawk. Today, Ben’s youngest son, Pat Epps, is widely recognized (and awarded) as a living legend of aviation.
Pat has over 10,000 flight hours and a colorful career that began in the military but was primarily spent in general aviation selling airplanes and expanding the Epps Aviation FBO footprint. Also sprinkled in is an epic warbird rescue mission and airshow performances in his rare aerobatic Bonanza – and that’s only the tip of the iceberg! But I’ll let you find out the rest within the article. His children, Elaine and Marian, now run Epps Aviation in Atlanta, Georgia.
I’ll turn it over to the author, Lance Phillips, to further preface the series as a whole. Already I am enjoying learning more about some of GA’s household names, and I hope you do, too.
There are a lot of compelling stories out there informing new generations of the early aviation pioneers. Rich tales about the people and machines that formed our industry as we know it. But what about the legends behind the people and companies who built the relationships and helped spread the word about the benefits of owning a unique air transportation machine – the sales teams?
Back in the early days, aircraft manufacturers tended to rely on outside professionals who knew the markets in ways the builders couldn’t or didn’t care to. Those outside sales teams, aka dealers, still exist and thrive, but to date, most of the domestic manufacturers have opted for internal factory sales teams. Each issue, we’re going to delve into the hard work and success stories accomplished by a few of those outside teams who partnered with the revered brand names of Wichita, Kansas’ center of aviation manufacturing and are still thriving today.
