Man Buys Old Airplane & Turns It Into Home

Since Childhood

Since childhood, Bruce has enjoyed fiddling with different materials and old discarded things and renovating them into new objects with new meanings. Initially, when he bought the land in Hillsboro he wanted to renovate a few freight vans into a new home for himself, that was until he heard about a different kind of home someone else had already built. He just had some stunning plans for the incredible feat of engineering.

Since Childhood

A More Compelling Idea

Just under twenty years later, Campbell discovered that Joanne Ussery, a hairdresser originally from Mississippi, had bought a Boeing 727 plane and renovated it into a home. Prior to this innovative conversion, Ussery had lived in a regular bricks-and-mortar type of house which had burned down, leading to her decision to create a functional home within an old airplane, situated by a tranquil lakeside. This was the ideal place to start a revolutionary project.

A More Compelling Idea

Beginning Small

Although Campbell had already started out on his journey of renovating freight vans, he decided it would be infinitely more inventive and original to do the same with a huge plane. He also thought that it would be much more challenging and fun, as well as holding to the belief that these old planes should be made more use of than just scrap metal. Space wasn’t an issue as he already owned 10 acres of land, but a lot of money was still needed; he had to buy and then transport a plane back to his land in Oregon.

Beginning Small

Purchasing a Plane

Bruce Campbell had decided to buy a Boeing 727 aircraft back in 1999. He found one available for purchase from Olympic Airways based at Athens Airport, and handed over $100,000 for it. Once obtained, however, the real struggle began – getting the gigantic aircraft from Athens Airport back to Hillsboro, Oregon. This would have been a difficult flight path even if it were an ordinary flight. Campbell was no small-minded transporter, however.

Purchasing A Plane

Transportation Of An Aircraft

The transfer of the airplane from Greece to the Hillsboro woods in Oregon turned out to be the most difficult task of the whole venture, according to Campbell. The arrangement of the move, culminating in its completion, and another few particulars of the project, ended up costing Campbell a further $120,000. Meaning that before the renovation had even begun, he was set back $220,000 in total. This didn’t seem to dissuade our Bruce in the slightest. It turns out Bruce Campbell would get his money’s worth in more ways than one, and much more than he could have imagined.

Transportation Of An Aircraft

Relocation Of Colossal Proportions

Being the hard-working and diligent man that he is, Campbell was not swayed by the massive amount of work that lay ahead before this plane could be called a home. First, he needed to move the Boeing 727 deep into the woods. How does one move such a colossal object through something as densely packed as a forest, given all the trees and animals in the way? Amazingly, moving it wouldn’t be the biggest issue he had.

Relocation Of Colossal Proportions

Building Wings

It took a collection of men to dismantle the wings of the plane in order to make it into his “backyard”. They needed to remove the wings in such a way that they could replace them correctly and easily once again afterwards. This dismantling would also allow the plane to be moved through the forest without incurring damage or smashing any of the beautiful trees and foliage. He was not about to wreck the forest!

Building Wings

Private Land

One would probably wonder what legal issues Bruce ran into as he moved his aircraft into the woods. In order to ensure that he had the law on his side, Bruce purchased every inch of the ground where he would place his airplane. The authorities were truly in awe of his creative ingenuity. It seemed like Bruce had thought about every possible issue that he could encounter with this project, and conjured potential solutions for each hiccup.

Private Land

A New Vision

At first, Bruce Campbell had seen the plane as a pleasurable enterprise to embark on, with no specific vision or expectation, except a clear intention to upcycle the airplane into something livable and wonderful. Campbell holds to a firm belief that airliners have the potential to be made into homes and should not be “mindlessly scrapped”. This tragic waste of such magnificent modes of transport robs many people of a wonderful resource.

A New Vision

A Move to The Forest

Over several years, Campbell lived in a nearby freight van while working tirelessly on his renovation. The relocation to the forest was not easy in itself, but he was set on completing his task and had no intention of giving up. He had made it this far, and his ambitious and adventurous spirit was not going to be diminished by any problem that his logical mind could solve. But there was more trouble ahead.

A Move To The Forest

Unexpected Trouble

Soon after he moved, there was an infestation of mice in the van and Campbell had no choice but to live in the aircraft instead. A verming infestation was an unforeseen issue, Bruce had to admit, but he was not the skittish type that would be easily frightened away by the relatively harmless and adorable little creatures. This was how he began to genuinely understand the space and how to transform it.

Unexpected Trouble

Converging Of Two Worlds

Campbell talked about his vision in an interview with The Mirror, where he stated that “shredding a beautiful and scintillating jetliner is a tragedy in waste and a profound failure of human imagination.” And added that although some may think that living in an aircraft in the middle of the woods is an odd and lonely decision to make, to him it is not unnatural, adding that an aircraft possesses a graceful engineering that is “unmatched by any other structure people can live within”.

Converging Of Two Worlds

Envisioning Something New

Campbell didn’t have any initial clear visions for the interior of the Boeing 727, but the moment he moved in things started to become clear to him. In an interview with Business Insider, he explained his vision, saying that the “Next time you’re in a jetliner, close your eyes for a moment and remove all the seats, all the other people from your mind … Then open your eyes with that vision and consider the expanse of the living room. It’s a good environment; it really is.”

Envisioning Something New

The Unveiling

Before finally unveiling his innovative jetliner home, Campbell cleaned the exterior of the plane using a high-pressure water spray. He said in the Daily Mail that this may sound like a relatively simple and easy task, but it actually took roughly four days to complete! Not surprising, given how enormous this plane was and how much filth was probably caked into its metallic surfaces. Planes also have plenty of intricate nooks and crannies.

The Unveiling

Conservation And Preservation

The Boeing 727 needs its exterior washed every two years. Ladders are needed to access the engines and the top portion of the plane. The risk of falling or the high-pressure water hose swinging out of control actually makes the cleaning of Campbell’s beloved home a dangerous task! This does concern him somewhat, but the results of his hard work make it all worth it. When you start seeing your hard work paying off, it is an incredible motivator.

Conservation And Preservation

An Unconventional Home

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Campbell says that “If a conventional home is a legacy age family Chevy or Ford, an airliner is a fresh new Tesla or Porsche Carrera.” Adding that every discarded airliner should be turned into an “aerospace class castle” that is fit for living and retirement residence. Would you like to retire to such a place? It seems like it would be the ideal getaway at least for a holiday.

An Unconventional Home

An Aerospace Class Castle

In line with the image of the castle, Campbell’s Boeing 727 is bolstered by concrete pillars and a driveway leading up to his renovated aircraft home, situated on the outskirts of Hillsboro, Oregon. Visiting the area, the amount of work that has gone into the airliner is noticeable, and it is clear that it didn’t just miraculously land there by mistake. It took an incredibly coordinated effort from a lot of people to achieve this.

An Aerospace Class Castle

Scrap Or Save

Campbell wanted to recycle and find new uses for as much of the equipment that was already on the plane as possible, and made the decision to leave the majority of the instruments and controls in the cockpit. This would provide a fascinating type of aesthetic, and make visitors more willing to visit the unusual site. Additionally, he restructured the interior of the aircraft to facilitate daily living with a lot of innovative renovation and modifications to the space.

Scrap Or Save

Work In Progress

For Campbell, his new residence is a never-ending work in progress while also a practical, fully-functioning home. The shower may be a homemade own-design shower that he built himself, but he also restored a number of the original features of the jetliner. He worked on the flight stairs, the airplane-style restroom, LED lighting, and a portion of the original seats that came with the plane when he bought it. I bet you want to know what it looks like now…

Work In Progress

Open Doors

In order to enter Bruce Campbell’s airliner home, one has to use the jetliner’s original fold-down staircase, much like you would have when embarking on the Boeing 727 years ago before take-off on the airport tarmac, when the plane still flew from airport to airport, carrying people and cargo to and from a variety of destinations. Today you alight the stairs and arrive at Bruce Campbell’s home. Welcome to the tour of a lifetime!

Open Doors

Details Are Everything

Bruce Campbell has considered all the details. The shoe rack filled with slippers at the front area of the plane, ready for his guests to use on entering his home, is an example of this. He prefers people to wear slippers and socks when inside the aircraft as a method to maintain cleanliness; as you can imagine, housekeeping in this complex and very large home is quite a demanding task.

Details Are Everything

Number 1 Rule

Having realized how quickly the glass floor gets dirty due to the forest location, Bruce makes sure to hold to his sock and slipper rule. Traipsing mud and debris into his majestic and pristinely kept abode was bound to irritate him, and make quite the mess. Even though he lives alone, Bruce Campbell takes great pride in the home he has fashioned for himself, and makes sure the plane is kept pristine.

Number 1 Rule

Feeling At Home

Moving about his home with either socks or slippers keeping his feet warm and the floor clean, he particularly enjoys doing so on the Plexiglas flooring, which he loves. You can almost slipe and slide about the place, becoming a fun way to exercise and unwind. He wanted to make this a fun experience for everyone! In this way, standing socks to glass, he often gets inspiration for more home-improvement ideas for renovating his jetliner.

Feeling At Home

What He Needs

Even though the retired Boeing 727 is not lacking in space, Bruce Campbell doesn’t lead a lavish lifestyle. He sleeps on a futon, eating mostly cereal and canned food, using a toaster and microwave to cook, while still constructing a lot of improvised equipment. As you can see from the picture below, Bruce is also committed to his hygiene and has a fully-functioning shower. No matter how outlandish your choice of residence becomes, you need to stay clean!

What He Needs

Modest Living

Bruce can be seen in the picture chilling on his futon, with many of his possessions surrounding him. However, it turns out he is not just having recreational leisure time, he is actually working hard, working on the renovation of the bathroom and of other features of his home. As you can see from his expression in the picture below, the gears are turning in his head, and he is pondering how to improve the features and services in his home.

Modest Living

A Shower And A Trench

The aircraft’s two original lavatories are working and in use, but one of the coolest features of the plane-turned-home is definitely the shower and all the plumbing ingenuity that went into the shower’s construction, situated towards the plane’s tail. Campbell dug a trench that led to a rerouted well power line so as to have access to running water, as well as electricity for hot water. Anyone doubting that this plane could never be turned into a livable place had had their scepticism erased.

A Shower And A Trench

Getting Connected

Campbell connected the old power cable to an old meter base, and then installed a new circuit breaker cabinet on the plane. He then added a PVC duct, a telecom cable, and a water-pipe for backup. This all allows him to shave as well as have clean running water for brushing his teeth. Have you ever seen a more extraordinary sight than the one in the picture below? It looks like some sci-fi film.

Getting Connected

The Cockpit

Bruce Campbell’s Boeing 727’s cockpit still holds all the original instruments, but Campbell has also transformed it into an entertainment area, where he also enjoys doing his reading. This is the area he most likes to renovate and develop, evident by the pool of gadgets on show. You might be convinced that this plane is in complete working order and that if Bruce wanted to, he could take off with his mobile home!

The Cockpit

House Of Toys

In Business Insider he said “It’s a great toy. Trick doors, trick floors. Hatches here, hatches there. Star Trek movies in a Star-Trek-like setting,” commenting on the fact that for someone like him –a tech nerd – living in an airplane is a great source of adventure and a lot of fun, adding that “Having lots of little toys enclosed in a very big toy is nirvana.” This was the perfect life for someone like Bruce.

House Of Toys

The Engineer

Campbell is aboard his plane for most of the day, doing his work on a computer at his own purposefully built work-station, which is where he creates the plans for further improving his home’s design. He says that he enjoys the process of the planning, saying in The Daily Mail that he thinks that “most people are nerds in their hearts in some measure. The point is to have fun.” This entertaining factor was essential for Bruce’s motivation.

The Engineer

It Makes Sense

It is quite a natural desire for an engineer to want to live in and work on his project simultaneously, as that is perhaps the ultimate way of gaining a genuine understanding of the space and how to design it most functional. Being completely immersed in his project allowed Bruce to almost become one with the plane, becoming in tune with all its needs and potential areas for much-needed improvement.

It Makes Sense

Fully Functioning

Not only did Campbell construct his very own running water system, but he also fixed up the lighting both on the outside and on the inside of the aircraft. He had expected that living alone so deep in the forest would not be easy, so he gave himself the small comfort of knowing that the most necessary and basic amenities were taken care of. He could now spend days at a time working away without worrying about basic survival.

Fully Functioning

Even At Night

So it goes without saying that Bruce Campbell’s home is fully functional even at nighttime, and power-cuts are not a worry for him. If he wants to do research, read or work through the night he can. Likewise, Campbell restored the aircraft’s original LED lights, which are also better for the environment. Bruce was not the type to waste time sleeping – and how could you, when you have so much exciting work to do?

Even At Night

Gardening

Bruce Campbell doesn’t just tend to and care for the interior of his airplane, but also makes sure he cares for the surrounding forest area of his Boeing 727. Just like people look after their gardens or yards, Campbell looks after the weeds and grass that surround the jetliner. He wants his new home to healthily integrate into the environment around it, and unlike most active planes, become a green benefit for the forest.

Gardening

Not a Small Task

Once a week, Campbell mows the surrounding grass and plucks the weeds under the airplane, making sure the area always looks presentable. This sounds like an almost impossible and constant task, but it seems that nothing deters Bruce Campbell. He has an incredible amount of energy for one so mature, and he often hops onto his plane’s wings to sweep off fallen leaves and twigs. This plane is truly his baby.

Not A Small Task

Upcycling Is The Way

When asked in an interview with The Daily Mail for his reasons behind his conviction in upcycling and converting aircraft into homes he emphasized that such an undertaking has a wide array of benefits for the environment, also saying that airplanes are extremely strong and durable, even in the face of earthquakes and storms. If you ever need a shelter from some explosive crisis, you can bet that Bruce’s home will be the ideal shelter.

Upcycling Is The Way

Air-Tight

Not only can his Boeing 727 withstand a storm, but it is also pretty simple to maintain and keep clean. Campbell said that “Their interior is easy to keep immaculately clean because they are sealed pressure canisters. They could last for centuries,” hoping that once people come to see the environmental benefits, the transformation of aircraft could gain momentum. This is a fresh and hygienic enivornment to live in, especially with all the clean air from the forest.

Air-Tight

Close Enough

The idea of a lack of supplies and amenities may deter some people from such a lifestyle choice, but as Bruce Campbell proves, this is a non-issue; the city is not far from his home so getting supplies is not a problem. As you can see from the picture below, Bruce does not live large when it comes to his food supplies, seeming to have a huge penchant for tortilla strips!

Close Enough

Not Going Hungry

As is evident in the photo, Campbell won’t be going hungry any time soon. Although maybe making a gourmet meal would not be easy, he doesn’t seem to be the type to care too much about edibles, and more about feeding his tech needs. His kitchenette is stocked full of supplies, condiments, and produce, and has a microwave, toaster and running water, so making a nutritious and basic meal is easy.

Not Going Hungry

Authentic Feel

Although it might be impossible for Campbell to take his aircraft for a test flight, he has preserved a few rows of the original seats which still give it that exciting feeling of being airborne. This will allow Bruce and his visitors to simulate the fantasy of flying through the air. It must be a bizarre feeling, sitting in a plane seat with nowhere to go! Nice and clean seats make everything so much better.

Authentic Feel

A Select Few

In order to give himself appropriate space to live and move around in, Campbell left only a few of the original seats in place. He kept this part of the plane in order to remind himself why he loves his special home so much. They are also a great space for guests to chill in. As you can see from the picture below, he also has some quirky items lying around in his interior, such as this random medieval knight’s helm!

A Select Few

His Office

Campbell’s favorite place to spend time in is the cockpit area. The room is multipurpose as it is not only his very own unique game room, it also provides him with a little corner to relax and wind-down, and most importantly, this is often where inspiration hits and the creativity flows. You can easily tell why from the picture below – this is the perfectly epic spot to get excited.

His Office

Imagining Flying

Campbell enjoys sitting in the cockpit as he has the opportunity to imagine what it feels like for a pilot to fly a plane, with the numerous gadgets, buttons and levers, and flashing lights in front of them. This is an arena where all the wonders of technology are brought to life. This is such an incredible aesthetic for science fiction fanatics and engineers alike, providing an almost infinite level of stimulation and wonder.

Imagining Flying

Keeping Clean

Living in a renovated aircraft has not deterred Bruce Campbell from taking care of his personal hygiene. He has a washing machine to make sure his clothes are clean and smell fresh, and has clean running water to shower and brush his teeth with. He might not be able to take a luxurious spa bath, but these kinds of luxuries will not be missed by the hardy and industrious Bruce.

Keeping Clean

Imagination Is Key

Skills are definitely important but imagination is key too, and Bruce Campbell is proof that with some skills and imagination combined, nearly anything can be transformed into a do-it-yourself home. You cannot construct such a phenomenal place without being able to think outside of the box, and even just getting such a fantastic concept going to a feasible level and establishment is a feat of wild genius and raw talent.

Imagination Is Key

Not Different

The fact that Campbell lives in a Boeing 727 doesn’t make him all that different from the rest of us. He takes care of his appearance and looks after himself. In fact, the careful and thorough design of the interior and its meticulous upkeep is a reflection of how clean and tidy he is. When you embark on an eccentric project, you need to make sure that you continue to care for your basic human faculties and needs.

Not Different

Not Isolated

Campbell is not isolated from civilization on some faraway island, so just like other people he still showers and shaves daily, his needs accommodated for by the airplane home he has created. While you might think that living alone in the middle of the forest could become a bit maddening, Bruce has established a refreshing and sanity-ensuring lifestyle and set of rituals that keep him grounded and entertained. He can take care of himself, clearly!

Not Isolated

Made To Last

Campbell says that because the aircraft is made from sturdy metal while regular homes are usually made from other materials such as wood it is much more beneficial. In an interview with Business Insider, he explained that “wood is, in my view, a terrible building material. It biodegrades – it’s termite chow and microbe chow. Or it’s firewood; depends upon which happens first.” Clearly, Bruce did not share his fellow Americans’ affinity for wood.

Made To Last

Strength Or Ergonomics?

Campbell thinks that traditional rectangular houses are actually inferior as they favor ergonomics over strength. He said, “To me it makes no sense at all to destroy the finest structures available and then turn around and build homes out of materials which are fundamentally little better than pressed cardboard, using ancient and inferior design and building methods”. If Bruce had his way, we would all be living in airplanes and ships!

Strength Or Ergonomics

The Curious Public

Although many have asked Campbell questions enquiring if the aircraft had crashed in the woods somehow or if he just reconstructed the body of the plane, he says he doesn’t really have time for such questions as they are unreasonable and irrational. To have someone ask such ridiculous questions of a man that has dedicated his life to engineering new and sustainable types of homes is frankly uncalled for, don’t you think?

The Curious Public

Sharing Is Caring

Bruce Campbell would like people to comprehend how much hard work goes into such a project like this one. To him, it seems strange that people don’t fully grasp the intricacies that were involved in building his aircraft home, but he also understands that many people are not aware of the extent of what is possible. Just looking at pictures of his airplane home would show any rational person that this was an incredible project.

Sharing Is Caring

Pride in His Work

With the camera on him in his private Boeing 727 that he has built into a home, he is extremely proud of what he has managed to create. Being aboard this plane is home for Bruce Campbell.

This is only one of Campbell’s innovative achievements, and he is always having new ideas and making bigger plans for the future. Keep reading to hear more about what might be next for Campbell.

Pride In His Work

Here And There

It may come as a surprise but nowadays Bruce Campbell actually resides in his jetliner home for only half the year, spending the remaining six months living in Japan. Quite a change of scenery!

While in Japan, he keeps busy by working on a number of ideas and projects. One project has particularly caught his attention. It was the type that he was incredibly familiar with by now. Maybe you can guess which one…

Here And There

Another Project

Yep! That’s right! Campbell has plans to replicate his project, this time in Japan with the Boeing 747, an even bigger aircraft! He has plans to buy a retired 747 jetliner and, once more, renovate it in order to make another quite exceptional home for when he is in Japan. It makes sense that he would find people in Japan that mirrored his eccentric enthusiasm, given the country’s obsession with technology and futurism.

Another Project

Opening Minds

Campbell feels strongly that his purpose in this world is to impact the environment and humanity in a significant and positive way, driven by innovation. His roots as an electrical engineer most definitely have a lot to do with that drive. Recycling airplanes gets Campbell excited. Standing beside his aircraft home, he said, “My goal is to change humanity’s behavior in this little niche.” We need more free-thinking and original geniuses like Bruce.

Opening Minds

Part Of A Small Group

Campbell is actually a member of a very small group of people from around the world, including those from places as diverse as Texas, the Netherlands, and Costa Rica, who have renovated retired aircraft into operational living spaces. A spokesman for the Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association said that the group “is happy to see aircraft fuselages re-purposed in a range of creative ways. We would want them to be recovered and to be re-used in an environmentally sustainable fashion.”

Part Of A Small Group

The Organization

The Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association focuses on promoting sustainable practices for aircraft and engines. Another spokesperson for the organization determined that something between 500 to 600 aircraft fleets will be retired every year over the next two decades and that approximately 1,200 to 1,800 planes will be dismantled in the next three years. If more people took Bruce Campbell’s lead, that could be turned into a number of new homes!

The Organization

The Woods Of Hillsboro

There were a number of simple reasons why Campbell chose the forest of Hillsboro, Oregon to reassemble his Boeing 727 aircraft. Firstly, following his graduation in the 70’s he received a job offer in the area. Secondly, he is extremely fond of the greenery in the area. He wrote on his website, “I like the area and it’s very green and Oregon is a little independent-minded which appealed to me. It’s a country setting, it’s very nice. It’s more than enough for the aircraft.”

The Woods Of Hillsboro

A Normal House

Campbell didn’t buy a home until late in life, saying in The Daily Mail that he had felt that getting a mortgage would financially restrict him, and by the time he actually had enough money to purchase a home he already had a radically different idea of what he would like that to be. He said, “I had stopped thinking in provincial terms and was thinking like a free bird engineer”.

A Normal House

The Curious Are Welcome

Bruce Campbell is happy to let the inquisitive and the tourists to have a look inside his home and give them a tour. It is even possible to arrange an appointment with him via his website if one is curious as to what living in a retired jetliner is like. As you can see from the picture below, Bruce does not care too much for new clothes, or slippers! Function over form.

The Curious Are Welcome

Sharing The Love For Planes

When asked of his opinion of these tourists passing through his personal space Campbell was quoted in The Daily Mail saying that “It happens frequently; it happens almost every day now and I encourage it.” He is happy to share his innovative abode with others also because he thinks it is “a great toy”, but also because he genuinely celebrates the plane as “one of the finest structures mankind has ever built.”

Sharing The Love For Planes

Going About His Business

Although Campbell welcomes the curious visitors happily for a tour of his spectacular Boeing 727, there have been some awkward instances, for example, the occasion when a few of the inquisitive plane-tourists walked into his home ready for a tour – and Bruce was mid-shower! When you open up your home to visitors as Bruce did, you really should install some kind of bell or buzzer at the entrance to the plane!

Going About His Business

Meeting New People

Campbell says that while most of the visitors pre-arrange a visiting tour with him first via his website, about 25 percent just casually drop in, arriving whenever. In The Daily Mail he describes the atmosphere this creates, “I live in a pretty transparent environment. I go about living while people are touring my aircraft and sometimes it’s very intimate”. Campbell also enjoys the fact that his new home sparks many interesting interactions with different people, giving him a chance to learn new things.

Meeting New People

A Special Kind Of Concert

Other than opening his home up to a curious public, he also hosts numerous public and private events throughout the year. Between June 30th and July 3rd in 2018, on a grassy plane right at the front of the right wing of the plane, Campbell hosted a unique performance where Tokyo vocalist Pomily and a number of other artists performed.

Campbell advertised the event on his website as “A new concert option: Superb music rendered from a wing of a scintillating aerospace home”, accompanied by a number of instructions and useful guidelines, such as advising guests to come wearing comfortable clothes and shoes that suit the countryside, also offering slippers to those wanting to go inside his aircraft home.

A Special Kind Of Concert

A Boeing 727 Kind Of Party

For anyone who wasn’t able to make it to the concert, Bruce Campbell is hosting another event which is going to be massive, and sounds like it will be a lot of fun. ‘Turbulence: A Dance Party at a 727 in the Woods’ will take place on the wing of the plane, where there will be food, beer, art, and of course, music – all with the permission of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission of course! Guests will also be permitted to have an inside tour of the aircraft.

This event is a huge DJ dance party that Campbell is hosting with some friends. His friends are the owners of the Portland party promotion company called Murderboat Productions, and the event is to take place over the 7th-9th of September, 2018. Already over 14,000 people have shown interest for the event on Facebook.

A Boing 727 Kind Of Party

Living The Bachelor Life

About being a bachelor, Bruce Campbell told The Daily Mail, “I will not marry and will not generate kids. I’m 68 so it’s too late anyway, but I simply never desired to be married or have kids. I enjoy romance and love and I indulge in it as much as the civilization will allow”. He is content living his modest lifestyle in his original-style bachelor pad, and doesn’t want for much more. Possibly, he sees the conventional notion of love and marriage in a similar way to which he sees mortgages – restrictive and limiting concepts. Additionally, Campbell’s modest lifestyle did not put a dent in his ambitious nature, which brings us to his current project that is already in the making.

Living The Bachelor Life

Boeing 747

Bruce Campbell divides his year between residing in the Hillsboro woods on his Boeing 727 for six months, and the rest of the year he lives in Japan where he is working towards purchasing some land so that he can create aircraft home number two, on the bigger Boeing 747-400.

Campbell hopes to inspire others to start building their own aircraft homes. He wrote on his website that his aim is to “spark a renaissance of thought about how to utilize this remarkable resource”. For him, upcycling aircraft is full of excitement, being able to transform a discarded plane into a fully functioning home is a thrilling adventure- and he believes others will share this enthusiasm once they visit his airplane for a social event or an open tour for the first time.

Boeing 747

Helping The Community

The brilliant engineer is planning to put his talent to use on his second, and larger, aircraft home at the start of 2018 on the Coast of Kyushu Island in Japan. The choice of location was motivated by the fact that Campbell wants this home to be a sanctuary for him, but also for the local community.

Kyushu is one of those places that gets frequent tsunami threats, and Campbell’s vision is that this jetliner will be converted into a safe space to protect people from such threats. He wants people to understand the benefits and possibilities of converting planes into such safe-havens. Because aircraft are made for high aerospace they have sealed pressure technology, which means they can endure the harshest weather conditions and last for hundreds of years.

Helping The Community

Boeing 727-200

Bruce Campbell’s Oregon home is constructed from the Boeing 727-200 model of aircraft, which Boeing produced between 1960 and 1984. The 727 was made to serve short and medium length flights because the aircraft was able to land in smaller airports with comparatively shorter runways.

This model of an airplane built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes provided seating for between 149 and 189 passengers, and is the only model Boeing constructed with three engines. Delta Airlines was last major U.S. airline carrier that used this model, the last of their Boeing 727s being retired in the April of 2003. Northwest Airlines also retired their model of the same aircraft in June later the same year. The only carrier that still uses the Boeing 727-200 as a passenger carrier today is the Iranian airline Iran Aseman Airlines.

Boeing 727-200

A Bleak Past

Before Campbell bought the Boeing 727 and set about transforming it into the brilliant aircraft-home he now owns and lives in, the plane was used for regular plane things of course. Mostly meaning, to transport people to a variety of destinations. This plane, it turns out, was used to transport a dead body who was also accompanied by a famous someone…

Bruce Campbell’s current home is also the metal winged entity that transported Aristotle Onassis’s body to Greece after his death. Onassis was a Greek tycoon who died of respiratory failure in France on March 15, 1975, who was also married at the time to his long-time friend, his wife, the former First Lady for the U.S. Jackie Kennedy Onassis. So, of course, she escorted her husband’s coffin on the plane back to Greece for the burial.

A Bleak Past