Bend, OR, City Council Greenlights Lease Transfer

Epic Aircraft is poised for an expansion next year following a vote Wednesday by the Bend, OR, City Council approving a lease transfer at Bend Airport. The company could add as many as 150 jobs in 2013.

Epic was purchased in March by Engineering LLC, an MRO provider based in Russia, which is working towards taking the kit-built airplane to an FAA-certified factory-built aircraft.

Television station KTVZ reports that the space just leased to Epic includes 614,000 square feet of land and several buildings once owned by Cessna, which pulled out of the airport in 2009.

On its website, Epic says the company is currently moving forward with the certification of one of its high performance turbine kit aircraft. The carbon composite, pressurized six seat Epic LT will be certified as the E1000. "Epic Aircraft will continue to manufacture and sell its existing line of aircraft to current and prospective customers and will offer current customers the ability to trade up previous purchases for a new Epic once certification has been approved," the site says.

(Epic LT pictured in file photo)

FMI: www.epicaircraft.com