Runways & Lighting

Radio Frequency

Radio frequency is Unicom 122.8, irregular monitoring.

Historical Background

The Willows-Glenn Airport was initially a grassy field. Glenn Medical Center is now located on the original site and extended north to Wood Street. The property for the present airport was obtained when the Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District released various parcels to the City of Willows and to Glenn County for use in developing a community airport. The government agencies turned the project over to the Veterans of Foreign Wars who formed an airport committee in conjunction with the Achaean Club, a local service organization. The Northern California Air Show Association was formed in 1931 to generate money for the purchase of the airport property. Later, the U.S. Government, through the Civil Aeronautics Administration, became involved in the airport and built runways, a beacon and a large syphon under the Glenn-Colusa Irrigation Canal to properly drain the airport.

The City of Willows deeded its property on the airport to Glenn County on December 21, 1940. Two years later, on April 25, 1942, the County leased the airport to the United States Government for $1.00 per year on an annual renewable basis. Runway 13-31 was constructed during the winter 1941-42. Jimmy Doolittle began the final training of his B-25 crews for the bombing raid on Japan at this airport. The U.S. Forest Service also used the airport for a base of operations for aerial forest fighting.

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