It Started With An Idea
Bruce Campbell is a retired electrical engineer. Although he is in his sixties, he remains as inventive as ever. Many people want to relax during their retirement, but not Bruce.
He wanted to take on a massive project that would also change his life forever, and that's when he got the idea to buy an old Boeing 727. He was determined to turn this old plane into a home.
A Challenge From The Start
When Bruce bought the plane, it still had all the seats, compartments, oxygen masks, PA systems, and everything else that a regular plane has. Before turning into a home, he had to remove everything.
This was a huge challenge from the start, as dismantling a huge plane is not a one-person job. Still, Bruce did it all on his own, and after a lot of hard work, he managed to remove everything.
A Huge, Empty Container
The old plane didn't look like a regular plane inside anymore because it was absolutely empty. There were no seats and no overhead compartments, so it was essentially a huge, metal container.
Without all the seats, toilets, and compartments, you can see how large the plane actually is. After all, it is designed to hold about 200 passengers! Bruce had a lot of work ahead of him.
Modesty
Bruce never intended to turn the plane into a luxury home. On the contrary, he wanted to make it as modest as possible.
The area that he turned into his bedroom only has a futon in it, and that's just how he likes it. He also has space for some boxes and some furniture, but that's it.
A Simple Kitchen
One of the most important parts of a house is the kitchen. For Bruce, however, a kitchen doesn't need much since he is not a fan of cooking.
His kitchen only has a fridge, a microwave, and a toaster, and that's enough for him. He even uses most of the space for storage and supplies.
Planning Ahead
Since Bruce doesn't even have a stove, he has plenty of room in his kitchen to store non-perishable goods. He has lots of canned preserves, boxed cereal, and dry goods to keep him fed for long periods.
He is also not a huge fan of going out, so he doesn't really need to go grocery shopping very often. However, he does go out and get vegetables every once in a while.
A Better Restroom
Bruce kept the original toilets the plane came with but decided to upgrade them. He remodeled them as best as he could and connected them to his hand-built plumbing system.
Not only that, but he also installed space heaters in all of them so that they are warm during the cold months. He doesn't mind how small they are and finds them super cozy.
Laundry Room
Doing laundry is a vital part of everyone's life. Bruce absolutely had to have a laundry room in his plane; otherwise, he would have had to wash his clothes in a bucket or drive somewhere to get his laundry done.
He spared no expense to install a high-quality washing machine and dryer so that he can do laundry comfortably and not leave his plane.
Beautiful Lights
One of the highlights of this creative home is its amazing lights. As soon as the sun sets, Bruce loves to illuminate the plane from the inside out and turn all its lights on.
All lights are LED to make it as environmentally friendly as possible. From afar, it looks like a UFO landed in the middle of the forest - it's truly a sight to see!
Clean Floors
Bruce removed the original floor and replaced it with Plexiglas glass, which looks amazing. However, it gets dirty very quickly.
To keep the floor as clean as possible, Bruce has just one rule: no shoes in the house. People have to be wearing either socks or slippers, as walking barefoot also leaves marks on the glass.
(Almost) Fully Functional
In case you were wondering, no, the plane can't fly anymore, unfortunately (although that would've been super cool, right?)
That is because Bruce removed the engines. However, everything else in the plane is still fully functional and works perfectly. It’s just the engines that are missing.
The Cockpit
The cockpit is definitely the highlight of this peculiar home. After all, it is already the coolest part of an airplane.
Bruce kept it in perfect condition and added an entertainment system to it so that he can watch movies and relax in there. Imagine watching a movie like Star Wars in there at night!
Showering
We've talked about how Bruce kept the plane’s original toilets, but how does he shower? As everyone knows, planes don't come with showers, so he had to install his own.
After many trials and errors and several cold showers, Bruce managed to install a shower with both hot and cold water near the tail. It doesn't offer much privacy, but he doesn't need it anyway.
The Wings Are A Stage
Although he loves living by himself, Bruce is an amiable person. He loves throwing parties outside his house every once in a while and has the perfect set up to do so.
He uses one of the wings as a stage and connects a sound system around them to throw the best parties for his friends, family, and neighbors.
Visitors Are Welcome
Bruce is fully aware that his house is more than peculiar, so he doesn't mind curious visitors dropping by. If you ask him to see his place, he'll probably say yes.
Not only that, but as long as people let him know in advance, he is more than OK with people crashing in his house and never asks for any compensation.
It Gets Cold
Although Bruce has turned this plane into an amazing, fully inhabitable home, there's one problem he hasn't fully solved: heating. The plane is too big and gets too cold inside!
He lives in Oregon, and winters can be freezing there. He has a few space heaters here and there, but sometimes, they're just not enough.
Keeping It Clean
You might think that keeping the inside of a gigantic airplane clean is hard work, but it actually isn't. The plane is pressurized, so no bugs or dust come in.
Also, it's just Bruce living inside, so there's not much dirt to clean anyway. However, the outside of the plane is a different story. It usually gets covered in leaves, dirt, and mud, and cleaning it takes hours.
A Normal Life
Although living in an airplane sounds like a super cool, exciting thing, the reality is actually not that fun. To Bruce, it's just like any other house.
He does the same activities that everyone else does and has to do chores as well. Mundane things like vacuuming, doing dishes, and doing laundry occupy most of his days.
A Pretty Penny
This one is pretty obvious, but it is worth mentioning that buying a plane and renovating it is not cheap. He bought the plane for $100,000 from Olympic Airways and then had to renovate it.
After all the rewiring, transportation, dismantling, and redecoration, Bruce spent a total of $320,000. For him, it was worth every penny.
But Why, Though?
The big question everyone has for Bruce is why he chose to live on a plane. The short answer is obviously, why not?
However, the honest answer is that it was an incredible, exciting project for him and now has a unique home that everyone loves to visit. Also, planes are highly resistant and durable.
It's Just Worth It
Another reason why Bruce chose to do it is simply because it's worth it. Why should someone spend their retirement living a boring life in a regular home when they can embark on an exciting adventure?
In his own words: "If a conventional home is a legacy age family Chevy or Ford, an airliner is a fresh new Tesla or Porsche Carrera.”
Living Life To The Fullest
One thing is for sure: Bruce is never bored. He always has people coming to visit and even maintains a website for fans who want to check out his fantastic home.
He has also connected with other people on the internet who also live in restored planes and has created a beautiful community. Whatever you think about him, you can be sure he's a happy man.