Willmar Municipal Airport—John L. Rice Field is a public-use airport located west of the central business district of Willmar, a city of about 19,500 located in central Minnesota. The city-owned airport opened in September 2006 at its current location on Highway 40 SW.
The airport field is named in honor of John L. Rice, who managed the airport from 1945 to 1980. Rice was assisted by his wife, Mary Jane, who as one of the first female pilots in Minnesota was also an important figure at the airport
The original Willmar Municipal Airport was established in 1934 as a federal work relief project during the New Deal. For years it served a busy industrial park adjacent to the east side of the airport property. According to the website Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields, the growth of this industrial park, however, likely played a role in the decision to relocate it. With the industrial park growing up around it, there wasn’t room to build additional hangars. In addition, the site lacked adequate clear area at the approach end of the runways to install an instrument landing system. After conducting several studies, in 1995 a joint airport-planning group recommended replacing the original Willmar Airport by constructing a new facility two miles to the west.
The present-day airport includes a 5,500'x 100' paved runway, 3,000 x 250' turf runway, precision and non-precision instrument approaches, and hangar space. The terminal building houses a 30-person meeting room, passenger waiting lounge, flight planning area, and pilot facilities. The airport offers aircraft fuel sales, aircraft maintenance, ramp area/tie downs, and rental car assistance.
The airport’s fixed-base operator, Oasis Aero, offers specialized fuel tank repair and annual inspections along with flight instruction, pilot service, and Mooney parts sales. It also officially assumed the duties of managing the airport on June 1, 2018, after a period of assisting with management since the former manager left at the end of 2017.
Mechanic, pilot, and flight instructor Eric Rudningen, who runs the FBO with mechanic Paul Beck, says the transition was smooth, partly because Oasis Aero had been handling operations such as mowing, spraying, and general upkeep and maintenance at the airport since early 2013. But the additional management duties mean the city’s public works will take over the spraying and mowing. As for the rest of the duties, Oasis Aero’s staff of six, as well as weekend help, ensure the operation works, Rudningen says. “The main efficiency is that we are here from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 to 5 on the weekends. We see what goes on each day, and we are able to handle small issues quickly before they turn into large issues.”
Many Willmar-area companies use the airport’s services, including Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Hormel Foods, BNSF Railway, Duininck Inc. Target Corporation, Wal-Mart Stores, the State of Minnesota, FedEx, and the U.S. Army. In 2013, Life Link III, a helicopter ambulance emergency response and transport, set up a base at the airport.
Because Willmar Municipal is a relatively new airport, its infrastructure is in good shape. Funding for crack sealing and sealcoating of the runway and taxiways to extend pavement life is its most pressing need, Rudningen says.
Rudningen attends city department head meetings each month. Communication is key to good working relationships, he says, so routine reporting and weekly conversations ensure nothing slips through the cracks. “The current cooperation between the City of Willmar and the FBO is really a strong point of our airport,” Rudningen says. “Having a unified front, welcoming people to the area, and satisfying the needs of all users has had a tremendous positive impact on our airport.
A self-described “airplane nut,” Rudningen says people ask him all the time what he’s doing at the airport so early, or late, or on a weekend. “I respond with this: If I had a real job, I would be saving money so I could come to the airport on evenings and weekends to hang out and fly. So it’s pretty nice to get paid for it.”
Check out Willmar Municipal Airport for yourself during the 2019 Minnesota Airports Conference!
