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Next > Family-Friendly Wal-Mart Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart
Stores, bought his first corporate aircraft in 1957 — a 1948 Ercoupe. He flew the
plane himself seeking sites for Wal-Mart stores and now has 28 aircraft — 21 are
located at Bentonville, AR, the Wal-Mart headquarters. Only two were bought new.
19 are Learjets. Each business day they start to depart about 6 A.M. and about 3
P.M. they start returning, usually with a full load of eight passengers. Learjet
passengers get coffee, water and Sam's Cola. No snacks, meals, or gum. The 77 Wal-Mart
pilots fly about 55 hours monthly, fly one weekend monthly, overnight 4 times monthly,
but otherwise are home for dinner. They know a year in advance what their days off
will be. |
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