COSTA MESA, Calif. – September 21, 2007 – The Very Light Jet (VLJ) platform offers capabilities and applications beyond point-to-point travel, according to two prominent aerospace and defense industry experts who urged major aerospace companies to carefully consider a variety of non-traditional uses.
Rick Schrameck, president and CEO of Epic Aircraft, and Sean Walker, a senior vice president with investment bank RSM EquiCo Capital Markets, presented their views at the Strategic Research Institute’s 9th Annual Defense Aerospace Investor and Corporate Development Conference, which was held in Redondo Beach, Calif. on September 18-19. Among conference attendees were representatives from major aerospace companies such as Boeing, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems and Esterline.
“While conference attendees acknowledged the benefits of point-to-point travel via VLJs, many have not considered their use outside of corporate and private travel,” said Walker. “Yet the technology has evolved to the point where new applications are not only viable, but compelling."
“Epic’s family of VLJs is wonderfully versatile and can tackle a number of different missions,” Schrameck added. “For example, our aircraft have the speed, payload capacity and range needed to serve as a very compelling platform for homeland security applications, such as border patrol and surveillance. Under certain conditions, they’d even make cost effective UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles).”
“The SRI conference provided an ideal venue for examining the impact of general aviation on the commercial and defense-related aerospace sectors,” said Walker. “Airbus and Boeing are putting up some very impressive numbers, but whoever takes delivery of these commercial jets is going to need experienced aircrews, and we’re already we’re seeing shortages of such crews. VLJs such as those produced by Epic provide economical, modern training solutions for this inevitable global demand.”
According to Walker, conference attendees also appeared to be impressed by Epic’s brief four-year history. “Not only has the company introduced five new aircraft and gone from a clean sheet of paper to a flying aircraft in just over 200 days, but it is also profitable”, he noted.
“I guess you could say we’re ‘non traditional’ in a lot of ways,” Schrameck said.
About RSM EquiCo Capital Markets
RSM EquiCo Capital Markets LLC (www.rsmequico.com) is a global provider of investment banking services to private and public companies with annual revenues of up to $1 billion. The firm brings together companies, capital and creativity on a national and international scale to help clients achieve their personal and strategic objectives.
RSM EquiCo Capital Markets is licensed by the SEC and all state securities authorities, and is a member of the FINRA and SIPC. The firm’s international headquarters are located in Costa Mesa, Calif. It also has offices in Chicago, Boston, New York and London.
CONTACT:
RSM EquiCo Inc.
Todd Cooley, Director of Communications
714.327.8865
tcooley@rsmequico.com