The fly-in

Here is the draft plan for event day.

This is a draft plan. It depends on insurance, permits, and approval from our partners, the airport and county, and it may change.

What to expect

A family-friendly fly-in and history day at the Willows-Glenn County Airport, celebrating three chapters of local aviation: the Doolittle Raiders’ final training here in March 1942, the pioneering aerial agriculture of the Nolta family and others, and the origins of aerial firefighting.

Draft schedule

Morning

Volunteer breakfast at Nancy’s Cafe.

7:00 am

Volunteers and flight line monitors are briefed. The safety line is set and responders are staged.

8:00 am

Fly-in arrivals open. Pre-registered pilots check in and get their briefing.

9:00 am

The public opens: vendor fair, food trucks, hangar open house, static displays, and the history exhibit.

10:55 am

Final arrivals are down. The hard stop begins at 11:00 am.

11:00 am

Opening ceremony, listed below.

11:30 am to 2:00 pm

Lunch from the food trucks and tri-tip (partner to be confirmed), hangar tours, kids’ activities, and the vendor fair. Local storytelling and oral history of the Willows airport, the Nolta brothers, the Mendocino Air Tankers, the Korean flight school, and more.

1:30 pm

Flour bombing competitors get a separate safety brief. The drop zone is checked and cleared.

2:00 pm

The hard stop ends and the airport reopens.

2:15 to 3:45 pm

Flour bombing competition. The emcee narrates, the public watches from behind the safety line, and flights are scored as they happen.

3:45 pm

Awards, including the Doolittle Cup and class winners. Thanks to the sponsors.

4:00 pm

The event closes. Departures resume, and the flight line stays staffed until the last aircraft leaves.

Opening ceremony, 11:00 am

• A brief welcome from the Airport Advisory Board and a one-line safety note
• Posting of the colors by the VFW or CAP color guard
• The pledge and the National Anthem (the Willows High School Band, perhaps)
• An invocation and a moment of silence
• Remarks of about two minutes each from the city, the county, Rotary, and the Chamber
• The “Why Willows” story, told by Friends of the Willows Airport in three to four minutes, on Lt. Miller, Doolittle, and Nolta
• A Raiders tribute with the names, a toast to the silver goblets, and Taps, live if possible
• Veterans recognition by branch
• Retiring the colors
• Announcements and thanks to the sponsors

Flour bombing

• Daylight. Sunset is around 6:10 pm in mid-October, so finishing by about 4:00 pm leaves a wide margin for departures.
• Three heats, named for the airport’s three chapters: the Nolta seed drop (commercial pilots), the Ely tanker drop (private pilots), and the Raider bombing run (open field, any pilot).
• Departures. Other aircraft hold at the ramp during competition rounds and leave between rounds or after the awards.
• Rules. Drop height, sack weight, target size, and spectator location will go into the pilot brief, and will be set with airport management, the Willows Fire Department, and our insurer.

Static displays and visiting aircraft

• B-25 Mitchell. A B-25 Mitchell based in the Woodland area (location to be confirmed) is under discussion, depending on its availability that weekend.
• An original air tanker. Gary Hendrickson recently bought his father’s N3N air tanker, so the event could feature an original from 1956, the year the Mendocino Air Tanker Squad began.
• Military Minute Museum. The museum would host a static display (to be confirmed).
• Tankers and others. We will reach out to CAL FIRE and the U.S. Forest Service about tankers, and look for other interesting aircraft.

Plan your visit

When

Saturday, October 16, 2027 (tentative). The public opens at 9:00 am and the event closes at 4:00 pm.

Where

Willows-Glenn County Airport (KWLW), Willows, California.

Admission and parking

Admission is free. Parking details are to be announced.

Accessibility

To be announced. If you have questions or needs, email us and we will do our best to plan for them.

What to bring

It will be mid-October on an open airfield, so bring sun protection, a jacket for the morning, water, and hearing protection for children. The public stays behind the flight line safety line.

Eat

Food trucks and a tri-tip lunch (partner to be confirmed) are planned on site. Nancy’s Airport Cafe is at the airport too.

Stay

Lodging suggestions are coming. Email us if you are traveling and want help planning.

For pilots

Fly-in arrivals open at 8:00 am for pre-registered pilots, who check in and get their briefing. All arrivals need to be down by 10:55 am, because no aircraft move from 11:00 am until 2:00 pm. After the hard stop ends, flour bombing runs from 2:15 to 3:45 pm, and other aircraft hold at the ramp during competition rounds and leave between rounds or after the awards.

Registration, rules, and the arrival briefing will be posted here. We expect to open pilot registration in spring 2027. Until then, sign up for updates and we will email you when it opens.

Volunteer or vend

The day depends on volunteers, flight line monitors, and a vendor fair. Tell us what you would like to do.

Questions

What if it rains?

We have not set a rain plan or date yet. We will post it here once it is agreed with the airport and our partners.

Is it free?

Yes, admission is free.

Can I bring my kids?

Yes. It is meant to be a family day, with kids’ activities, hangar tours, and aircraft to look at. Everyone stays behind the safety line.

Is the B-25 confirmed?

Not yet. A B-25 Mitchell is under discussion and depends on its availability that weekend. We will update this page when we know.

Is the date final?

Not yet. October 16, 2027 is tentative until insurance, permits, and approvals are in place.

I have a question that is not here.

Email us at AHSWillows@gmail.com.