Epic E1000 taxiing
Photos courtesy of Ted Margarit and Epic Aircraft
In the early days of his college tenure, Ted Margarit was laser-focused on building hours with the ultimate goal of becoming an airline pilot. But being vectored back onto the ground by Grand Forks control in the fall of 2001 was the canary in the coal mine that his longstanding dream may not be actualized after all.
“I went to the University of North Dakota and started as a Commercial Aviation major,” Margarit said. “I was flying the morning of September 11th, and I’ll never forget when Grand Forks Air Force Base, which controls the airspace there, came on the radio and basically began shepherding blocks of students to the ground. We made it back to the briefing room, and there was a t.v. on, which is how we first learned what happened. Pretty quickly after that, the older students were getting their offers to join regionals pulled.”
After 9/11 initially derailed Margarit’s aviation ambitions, he remained determined to complete the flight requirements needed to graduate. His Aviation Management degree proved a natural bridge to law school, and as his legal career took shape, his passion for aviation resurfaced – this time in an entirely new and unexpected form.
Ten years after graduating from undergrad in 2004, Margarit was making headway in his career in advising family-owned businesses on ownership transitions. The itch to begin flying again was too strong to resist, and it aligned well with the needs of his growing company.
“I got back into flying very recreationally at first by joining a 172 and 182 flying club at Schaumburg Airport in Chicago,” Margarit said. “In 2018, I moved to Sioux Falls as my wife, who’s obviously the brains of the bunch and a retina surgeon to boot, wanted to practice medicine and raise a family where she grew up. To balance our careers, our deal was that we would take our South Dakota-provided tax savings and use those to buy an airplane. It would allow me to serve my customers without having to spend time waiting for connections at random airline hubs all over the country.”
The SR22 was a great way to reenter the cockpit, but Margarit quickly realized he needed something faster and could go farther. He purchased a Piper Meridian only a year later.
Ted and his daughter
“A year into owning the Meridian, I had a nose gear that failed to extend [in February of 2020]. This was actually perfect timing because in March, as we all remember, there wasn’t anywhere to go. After nine months, I was able to get a new prop and engine and flew the Meridian for a few more years. Next, I flew an M600 before getting into the Epic E1000 GX I now fly,” he said.
With a national reputation for assisting companies in transitioning their ownership structure to their employees through Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), the Epic allows him the flexibility to visit clients where they are and on their schedule, all without the inefficiencies of airlines. The result, according to Margarit, has made his aviation background just as key a part of his career and business as his law degree or ESOP experience, with airplanes representing some of the best investments he’s made in his business, Paralign Capital Partners.
“I cover the country, from Seattle to Miami. The M600 could make it to South Florida, but it was a five-and-a-half-hour adventure. It wasn’t the most comfortable experience. So, I really wanted an aircraft that had good speed but also good range. And like most do in this segment, I looked at a Citation Mustang, a Phenom 100, an Eclipse, TBM’s, and a PC-12,” he recalled.
“I also looked at the Epic and was like, ‘Wow, that’s the new thing. I don’t want to own a brand-new airplane with all the teething issues that you hear about with new models.’ But after talking to a bunch of owners and learning more, I heard that they weren’t having problems. The airplane has a PT6A-67, which is effectively the same motor as the PC-12, and there are a lot of systems that are similar on other airplanes. There really isn’t a lot that’s new, just the airframe.”
The all-composite, utility category airframe was part of the selling point for Margarit. Its sleekness was only some of its allure.
“What really pushed me to the E1000 was that it’s really the TBM of the 21st century. It flies 330 knots at 34,000 feet; I think my speed record so far in the airplane is 337 knots [true airspeed]. I have seen these numbers, so you can get more than the marketing numbers. You could, of course, go faster in a jet, but you’re going to pay double or triple for the privilege, plus spend two weeks getting a type rating. So, as I looked at those Venn diagrams, the Epic pulled ahead, and it has worked out really well for me.”
One of the many positives Margarit highlights about the aircraft is that “it is a stupid simple plane to fly that comes at a far lower cost than many other options.” It might just be an aircraft in a perfect sweet spot, where owners find little reason to ever upgrade.
If Margarit were to ever move up, he feels that without another comparable turboprop in the market, a jet is the only step left. The Citation CJ3+, Phenom 300, or Pilatus PC-24 would be options that would match the E1000’s range. But he isn’t only pleased with the performance aspect of his current bird; it is economical to fly as well.
“I’m currently about 400 hours into ownership. Cash out of pocket, not including engine reserve, interest, or depreciation, has been only about six hundred and fifty bucks an hour. So, insurance, maintenance, hangar, cleaning it, fuel, training, and everything else have only been a little more than six hundred dollars an hour. That’s incredible to go 330 knots and not have to worry about being in a 35-year-old airframe,” he explained.
“With the Meridian and M600, I had costs pretty reliably down to about four hundred and fifty dollars an hour. I do notice that the E1000 burns quite a bit more fuel with the larger powerplant, but you’re moving so much faster, so cost-wise per mile hasn’t really changed significantly. On the other hand, like everything, there’s always room for improvement. I know Epic has come out with upgraded insulation and sun-blocking windows to address the biggest complaint among Epic drivers sitting under the giant windscreen – the summer ground sweats!”
Another potential knock of an aircraft that’s been certified in the recent decade is how it is supported by the factory. However, Epic’s work in the homebuilt space was good practice for how they support owners of its certified models.
Margarit points to an experience where a hydraulic pump had failed, and he was AOG halfway across the country from his home base. 36 hours later, the work was signed off, and he was back in the air thanks to parts and technicians delivered via a factory-owned Epic to the field.
“I have been really impressed with the level of product support from Epic. I recently watched their CEO, Doug King, get dirty crawling under my plane to check an oil leak. I was blown away; what CEO does that?!” Margarit asked.
“And I think they’ve demonstrated a real commitment to the airframe, like Cirrus has. The AX is out now, and we are going to see continual improvements to the E1000. The airframe is such that it’s so underutilized today. There’s a lot of potential left in it. The aircraft has an 8,000-pound max gross takeoff weight, and you can load it with anything, and the ride quality is phenomenal. It’s just a really well-built airplane.”
More than 25 other E1000’s have rolled off the line since Margarit’s aircraft received its airworthiness in 2022. The company celebrated the delivery of its 100th certified airplane in September 2025.
“When you go to train in Bend, Oregon [at Epic’s facility], there is a wall right outside the simulator where there is a picture of every owner with their airplane. That wall is getting crowded,” he said, highlighting that other Epic pilots are a great resource for how to operate and caretake for your aircraft.
“I was really impressed with my transition training at the factory. When I transitioned, I had 2,000 hours of single-engine turboprop time, and the Epic’s ergonomics are such that you really don’t need a checklist – all the switches are aligned top to bottom, left to right. You could train a monkey to fly this airplane pretty quickly.”
An ancillary benefit of the E1000 is how it looks next to other airplanes. If ramp appeal is something you’re interested in, this aircraft may fit the bill.
“It has almost the same wingspan as the PA-46’s and TBM but is a little wider and longer. But what blows everything out of the water is its height, from tip to tail. The aircraft stands so much taller on the gear because you have a propeller that’s almost nine feet across, that’s converting 1,200 shaft horsepower to thrust,” Margarit said.
“In my hangar, I park next to King Airs, Gulfstreams, and some light jets. I don’t feel like I have a small plane anymore. In the Epic, I feel like I belong in the big boy hangar. It’s a measurement contest to be sure, but I say ramp presence matters at this segment of the market. I mean, when I ask my team to ride with me to client meetings, their confidence in the airplane is entirely related to their perception of it on the ramp. The SR22 and Pipers are good flying airplanes and great at their intended mission, but every employee who flew with me in those airframes poorly hid their apprehension about the trip due to the ‘small plane’ image. That has completely changed with the Epic.”
