POWELL, Tenn. — A landmark, airplane-shaped building that draws the eyes of passersby as they head towards Powell will soon open as an Airbnb rental.
The Airplane Filling Station was sold in March 2023 to new owners who plan to open it as a place for visitors to stay. Justin Bailey, the CEO of Realty Executives in East Tennessee, bought the property from Knox Heritage for $150,000.
He said it was originally opened as a roadside attraction by the Nickle Brothers in the 1930s.
"They modeled the Airplane Filling Station after a plane, obviously that's why it looks that way. And their thought was that people would stop there for gas, rather than just stopping at a more traditional spot. And I think, best I know, I think it really worked for him. I passed that building my entire life," Bailey said.
Knox Heritage said the building was based on the design off Charles Lindberg's Spirit of St. Louis. Gasoline stopped pumping at the station by 1970, they said, and then the structure began to be used for a variety of businesses. It was a liquor store, a produce stand, a bait-and-tackle shop and a used car lot before being restored starting in 2003.
Bailey said he is a fourth-generation realtor, and his mother has an office in Powell.
"When I saw the airplane go up for sale, I just called my mom and said, 'Hey, I don't know if you saw, the Airplane Filling Station is up for sale. What if we took that and turned it into an Airbnb?' She said something like, 'Well you know, that sounds crazy. But you know I love crazy," he said.
He said he hopes the plane would be listed on a section of Airbnb showing off unique places to stay across the U.S. Bailey said he is contracted with the company to handle management of the property, such as bookings and turnover.
"We'll get to sit back and watch it take off, so to speak," he said.
He said they're aiming for the Airbnb to be open for rental by Tennessee's first football game — Sept. 9. He is installing a shower, and said he is not changing the outside facade of the structure.