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Meet the Beechcraft-
loving family behind
the Million Air brand
by MeLinda Schnyder
Roger Woolsey became an entrepreneur in the aviation world while still a teenager. That early success – and his knack for tackling problems that needed solutions – propelled him to broaden his reach, from a pilot-for-hire to an air carrier, an air medical service provider, an FBO owner, FBO franchisee and eventually an FBO franchisor.
For much of his journey, at least one Beechcraft King Air has been in Woolsey’s tool kit. Here’s the story of the family behind the Million Air brand of fixed base operations.
A bold and lucky start in aviation
Roger’s father was a pilot, but he died when Roger was 4. Instead, it was growing up near an airport in northwest Arkansas that mostly influenced his interest in aviation. After he got his pilot’s license, he began building hours in Beech 18 and Queen Air aircraft, among others. He found out a neighbor whose yard he’d mowed as a kid was a pilot, and that neighbor helped Roger get started as a charter pilot.
His first real job was flying Stevie Nicks on a world tour with her band
Fleetwood Mac when he was 18 years old, and that led to more artists and bands hiring him. He quickly realized that while these musicians were great at their art, they didn’t know much about choosing the aircraft that they then would ask Roger to fly. He wanted a hand in choosing the aircraft for them, leaving his clients to focus on their music.
In 1986 and still a teenager, he began his first FAA Certified 125 air carrier, Prestige Touring. Roger said at that time he was the youngest commercial pilot in the U.S. and he still holds the title as the youngest air carrier operator in United States history.
“I was 19 years old and I wanted to borrow a million dollars to buy a plane and fly rock ’n’ roll bands around the world,” he said. “I got
MAY 2024
KING AIR MAGAZINE • 3
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