GALLATIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — Aviation enthusiasts flocked to the Music City Executive Airport in Gallatin, Tennessee on Saturday for the first-ever National Short Take Off and Landing (STOL) competition in the Volunteer State.
This event not only demonstrated the prowess of seasoned pilots but also aimed to kindle the passion of the next generation of aviation enthusiasts.
Eight-year-old Wyatt Hogue, among the spectators, aspires to be a firefighter or a pilot one day.
Eric Farewell, now the CEO of National STOL, once shared young Wyatt's dream, finding his own sanctuary and adventure in aviation.
He said STOL competitions, are designed to get the plane off the ground as quickly as possible and land as short as possible.
Gary Rower has spent the last 50 years flying and only recently became involved in this competition.
"The challenge is to be right on the line and then it get it stopped as short as you can," Gary Rower explained.
He's a skilled pilot, but this competition still takes a lot of practice.
"We are operating closer to the edge of the envelope, and so we have to make sure we can mitigate all those risk factors.”
Karina Aguirre was one of the line judges. Aguirre recently received her commercial pilot’s license and runs an organization called the Nashville 99. It supports other female pilots who have a passion for flying.
She calls the competition mesmerizing. Inspiration is what the organizers and participants want to give these young spectators.
"Guy like me, we are aging out and there are huge job opportunities," Rower said.
“There are massive careers available with the pilot shortage and mechanic shortage," Farewell said.
Farewell hopes more young people consider Aviation as a possible career.
The National Short Take Off and Landing competition drew pilots from across the country, including Alaska. As the competition season concludes, aviation enthusiasts eagerly anticipate the final event scheduled for November in Texas.
