Page 17 - Volume 13 Number 8
P. 17

     2013 Robinson R66 turbine engine helicopter, a 2006 King Air 350 purchased in 2011 and a 2008 Hawker 900XP jet acquired in 2016. Rouses employs two full­ time pilots who handle scheduling and fly the King Air as well as the Hawker 900XP. One pilot also flies the R66, as does Donny. Donny is not type­rated in the King Air 350 but the company always flies the King Air with two pilots, so when on board he often co­pilots.
In addition to visiting existing stores, Rouses uses the aircraft to visit new stores during construction, meet with suppliers and to research potential new sites and partnerships. Donny said the King Air came along at a time when the company needed its range, load and short field capabilities.
“It was 2011 and it was the right time for the business and the right deal,” he said. “As we began expanding and opening up our footprint more, the King Air 350 would allow us to take more people when we went to different markets, attend trade shows or visit other stores around the country.”
The farthest market from Rouses headquarters is Orange Beach, Alabama, where they have eight stores. Driving there and visiting all the stores would take several days while the King Air makes it a one­day trip with stops at two airports.
AUGUST 2019
Besides adding swept propellers, Donny said they haven’t made any modifications though will likely contract interior refurbishment and an exterior paint job in the next few years. They fly the King Air about 150­ 200 hours a year. Having a fleet allows mission flexibility, which grows more important as the footprint continues to grow. The Hawker 900XP is used for trips to trade shows in California and New York, or for travel related to the family’s business investments. The helicopter remains valuable for its ease of operation.
“If it’s just going to be me, I’ll take the helicopter and go,” he said. “Or if we have a full load on the King Air and a couple more people need to go somewhere, we’ll take the helicopter. The helicopter helps out a lot because I can fly it alone and we can land right in the store parking lot, no need for a rental car.”
He says he doesn’t see a future without the King Air.
“It just meets our requirements so well. For our one­ hour flights, it has great speed and it has range when we need it,” he said. “It makes me more comfortable being able to grow our geographic footprint farther from our home base because it gives us the opportunity to get to those stores more often than we could if we didn’t have the King Air.” KA
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