Korean Aviation History
The First Korean Aviation school & Air Corps
The first Korean Aviation School and Air Corps was founded by Korean Provisional Government in Shanghai (KPGiS) on July 5, 1920 in Glenn County. Air force sought for the independence fight against Japan who occupied the country from 1910 to 1945. General Roh Paik-lin, who was also the Defense Minister of KPGiS, helped establishing this combat-pilot training facility.
Kim Jong-lim was the first generation Korean immigrant and Korean Independence activist who moved into California in 1908. He did not hesitate to provide a major financial support for the School. The aviation school trained more than 30 pilots, who had dreams of bringing freedom to Korea from Japanese invasion, until it was officially closed in 1921. The Willows Aviation school/ Air corps became the root of modern Korea (ROK) Air Force.
Doolittle Raiders (B-25 Bomber Raiders)
James \”Jimmy\” Harold Doolittle (1896~1993) was an American aviation pioneer, who showed personal valor and heroic leadership during WWI and WWII. He was a commander of the \”Doolittle Raid\”(B-25 raid), a long range air raid on the Japanese main islands, four months after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Some of Raiders practiced taking-offs on the the Willows Airport runway to prepare for the raid mission on U.S.S. Hornet\’s flight deck. It was the first attack on the Japanese mainland by any country in the history. After their final training and rehearsals at the Willows-Glenn County Airport, Doolittle raiders left for the mission at the end of March and bombed six cities in Japan on April 18, 1942.
Floyd Nolta (Crop Dusting & Air Tanker)
Floyd Nolta is another aviation pioneer of Willows as Jimmy Doolittle’s 40-years friend. He founded the Willows\’ Flying service in 1928, and used agricultural aviation practices for seeding and spraying. He was the first person who sowed the rice field in Glenn County from the air. Nolta converted Hisso Travelair into the first rice seeding aircraft.