EP Aviation based in
McLean, Virginia
McLean ( ) is an Unincorporated area#United States, unincorporated community and census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population of the community was 50,773 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is ...
, is an aviation company owned by
Academi
Constellis, formerly Blackwater, is an American private military contractor founded on December 26, 1997, by former Navy SEAL officer Erik Prince. It was renamed Xe Services in 2009, and was again renamed to Academi in 2011, after it was acqui ...
(formerly Blackwater Security). Assets may include an
Embraer Super Tucano and 28 other aircraft including eight
SA330J Puma and 14
Bell 412
The Bell 412 is a utility helicopter of the Huey family manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It is a development of the Bell 212, with the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor. It is a twin-turbine helicopter that has been ...
helicopters. Blackwater has another affiliate known as
Presidential Airways which also has a number of registered aircraft. The Pumas were former
Bundespolizei and were purchased from
HELOG. EP Aviation is active in
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
and
Iraq
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
.
EP Aviation is named for Blackwater's owner,
Erik Prince
Erik Dean Prince (born June 6, 1969) is an American businessman, investor, author, and former U.S. Navy SEAL officer, and the founder of the private military company Blackwater. He served as Blackwater's CEO until 2009 and as its chairman u ...
.
Fleet
The EP Aviation fleet includes the following aircraft (as of August 2016):
The airline fleet also included the following aircraft (as of October 2011):
* 14
Bell 412
The Bell 412 is a utility helicopter of the Huey family manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It is a development of the Bell 212, with the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor. It is a twin-turbine helicopter that has been ...
helicopters
* 3
Hughes/MD 369 "Little Bird" helicopters
* 4
Bell 214ST
The Bell 214ST is a medium-lift, twin-engine helicopter descended from Bell Helicopter's ubiquitous UH-1 Huey series. Though it shares a type number with the somewhat-related Bell 214, the 214ST is larger and of quite different appearance.
...
medium-lift helicopters
* 3
Fairchild Swearingen Merlin IIIC turboprop airliners
* 9
Aérospatiale Puma
Aérospatiale () was a major French state-owned aerospace and defence corporation. It was founded in 1970 as () through the merger of three established state-owned companies: Sud Aviation, Nord Aviation and SEREB. The company was headqua ...
utility helicopters
* 1
Maule Air
Maule Air, Inc. is a manufacturer of light, single-engined, short take-off and landing (STOL) aircraft, based in Moultrie, Georgia, U.S. The company delivered 2,500 aircraft in its first 50 years of business.
History
Belford D. Maule (1911–1 ...
MT-7-235
STOL
A short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft is a fixed-wing aircraft that can takeoff/land on short runways. Many STOL-designed aircraft can operate on airstrips with harsh conditions (such as high altitude or ice). STOL aircraft, including tho ...
aircraft
* 1
Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano
The Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano (English: ''Super Toucan''), also named ALX or A-29, is a Brazilian turboprop light attack aircraft, attack and Counter-insurgency_aircraft, counter-insurgency aircraft designed and built by Embraer as a developm ...
counterinsurgency aircraft
* 1
Mooney M20
The Mooney M20 is a family of Reciprocating engine, piston-powered, four-seat, propeller-driven, general aviation aircraft, all featuring low wings and tricycle gear, manufactured by the Mooney International Corporation.Munson, Kenneth & Mich ...
E fixed wing aircraft.
Incidents and accidents
SA.330J (c/n 1358) N605R, ditched in an unknown location within Afghanistan around mid December 2008.
See also
*
Aviation Worldwide Services an affiliated company
References
External links
List of Honeywell modified EP Aviation airframes
{{Airlines of the United States, state=collapsed
Airlines based in Virginia
Companies based in Virginia