Music City STOL Finds New Long-Term Home

Competition to bring short takeoff and landing action to Tennessee’s Wilson County on October 9-10.

Parris Clarke

Tuesday, September 15, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET

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Edited By: Travis Tingle

[Credit: Music City STOL]

Key Takeaways:

Music City STOL, a short takeoff and landing (STOL) competition, has found a long-term home at Lebanon Municipal Airport (M54) and is scheduled for October 9-10.
The event features various aircraft classes competing for the shortest takeoff and landing distances, designed to be a spectator-friendly experience for all ages.
Proceeds from Music City STOL fund flight-training scholarships for youth in Tennessee, supporting BOLDAviation's mission to inspire the next generation in aviation.

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Three years after returning short takeoff and landing (STOL) competitions to Tennessee, Music City STOL officials announced they have found a long-term home at Lebanon Municipal Airport (M54), moving the event 30 minutes eastward to Wilson County after being in Gallatin in past years.

Scheduled for October 9-10, Music City STOL is produced by BOLDAviation and is a part of National STOL competition series.

Competitions are divided into classes featuring different aircraft weights and certifications. The Unlimited Class is an open classification for all aircraft types to compete for the shortest total takeoff-and-landing distance. Other classes include Rookie, Wilderness, and Adventure, among others that pit specific aircraft types against each other.

Music City STOL’s inaugural Lebanon competition will be the last event of the year in the series before the Lonestar STOL/National Finals in Sulphur Springs, Texas, on October 30-31.

“You don’t need to be an expert in aircraft or aviation to love this,” said Chad Hall, event director of Music City STOL and chairman of BOLDAviation, in a news release. “It’s simple. Shortest takeoff and shortest landing wins, measured to the foot, and you’re sitting close enough to feel the roar of the engine. Bring a chair and the kids.”

The two-day gathering kicks off October 9 with media access and competitor practice rounds in the morning alongside vendors and food trucks. Saturday’s main competition gates open at 9 a.m. CDT, with action running from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., accompanied by static aircraft displays featuring warbirds from the Commemorative Air Force.

In 2025, Music City STOL attracted 1,300 fans from across 14 states.

General admission is $20 covering both days, and children 12 and under are free. Fans unable to attend in person can stream Saturday’s competition live on the National STOL YouTube channel.

As a part of BOLD Aviation’s initiative to inspire aviation’s next generation, proceeds from the event will fund flight-training scholarships for the youth in Tennessee.

“Proceeds from Music City STOL go to work by enabling young people to have access to career paths in aviation they may not otherwise have access to,” Hall said. “That’s the whole reason BOLD Aviation exist.”