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If you have $220K savings, which kind of home would you like to live in? Well, a 64-year-old Oregonian man gave us a bold answer. He upcycled an old airplane into a magnificent residence nestled deep in the forests, which caused such a stir. Read on to peek inside the retired electrical engineer's unconventional home!
The former engineer was named Bruce Campbell, and he had been tired of living in a rented house. When Campbell finally saved up enough money to put the down payment on a house, he was reluctant to apply for a mortgage, which would economically restrain him. His innovative mindset led him to another way.
Bruce showed his pioneering spirit as early as his 20s, when he bought a 10-acre plot in an Oregonian Wood for $23,000. He had thought of revamping a couple of freight vans into a house, but his plan changed after he came across the Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association.
The Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association has been devoted to recycling retired aircrafts. Inspired by its ideas, Bruce forked out $100,000 for a Boeing 727 plane and paid an extra $120,000 to transport it from Greece to the heart of an Oregonian forest. And this was just a start.
The jet was spacious for a bachelor but lacked many basic amenities. First, Bruce adapted the pump on the service door for water supply. Furthermore, he connected an electricity supply and a telephone line to his new home. In this way, this plane became more like a modern "house," but Bruce wasn't satisfied yet.
The ingenious man turned the chamber above the landing gear bay into a cosy bedroom and living room. Bruce brought in a couch in place of rows of seats for comfortable sleeping and working. When he sits there during the day, the retiree can enjoy the sunshine flooding in through the original windows.
The plane boasts two restrooms at its backend, both equipped with functional toilets, sinks and faucets. What's even better is that the two half bathrooms share one sewage connection, which makes it easier to dispose of the waste in the end.
There had been no shower in the plane, so Bruce exploited his imagination to make one at its rear. Though the gadget looks primitive, it's able to provide fresh running water, which can be heated by power.
Next to the shower, Bruce set up a laundry area, featuring modern appliances like a washing machine and a dryer. Bruce also uses the faucet and the sink here to freshen up in the morning.
The kitchen seems quite humble, only equipped with a fridge, a toaster, and a microwave. But that's more than enough for Bruce to make some basic but nutritious meals. The space for the kitchen area is quite narrow, but he managed to make the most use of it by setting up a pantry for ingredient storage.
Look at Bruce's pantry, and you will be sure that he will never be starving for the months to come. Loads of canned preserves and dry goods are well arranged in plastic containers, sitting on top of the serving cart and the wooden tables.
The tech-savvy man loves the cockpit zone the most. He retains the original devices but uses the room as his personalized entertainment center, where he can pretend to work as a sophisticated pilot of a jet or even a spaceship! Fancy as it looks, the cockpit is not where he stays most often.
This is the favorite retreat of the mechanical geek. His cozy workroom features a long desk with all his repairing tools, radios, and other equipment. It must be relaxing to do simple repairs while listening to gentle music.
Bruce stored various industrial or construction-related materials in the aft galley, which showed that his refurbishment still hadn't come to a close.
Bruce's story gains so much publicity that many folks are captivated by his imaginative plane house and wish to pay a visit. Though proclaiming himself as socially inept, Bruce welcomes these visitors who can appreciate his work and retains some original seating rows for them.
Besides receiving tourists, Bruce's airplane is also open for various events. From June 30 to July 3 in 2018, Murderboat Productions hosted a special concert headed by Japanese singer Pomily, right on the aircraft's right-wing .
Bruce made the best use of the plane's original lighting system to facilitate his activities in and around his "plane house" after sunset. In Particular, he repaired all LED lights for energy-saving purposes. As night falls, the plane is like a UFO hidden in the pitch dark forests.
Though some may doubt the feasibility of living in an aircraft, the retired electrical engineer has plenty of persuasive reasons for his alternative lifestyle, "Retired airliners can last for centuries, are extremely fire resistant, and provide superior security." However, Bruce has to admit that his lodge could also cause inconvenience sometimes.
The airliner's floors are made of plexiglas, a transparent material that provides a better view of the inside plane structure. Every mechanic lover would feel enchanted when walking on it, and Bruce is no exception. However, the floors get dirty so quickly that he has to clean them several times a day.
The Boeing 727 turned home needs complete cleaning of its exterior surfaces at least once every two years. During the process, Bruce has to climb up a ladder to the plane's roof. As you can imagine, the regular maintenance is fairly hazardous at the risk of slipping off from the high place.
Generally speaking, Bruce is very proud to build the unique shelter in a forest on his own and glad to share his story with more people on his website airplanehome.com. The plane house owner wrote that he hoped his efforts could inspire people to recycle incredible resources around them.
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