FOR many of us, being inside a passenger plane is an annual treat but for two individuals in America it’s their way of life.
Jo Ann Ussery and Bruce Campbell both call Boeing 727 passenger planes their homes.
The LIFE Images Collection via GTwo Americans live inside Boeing 727 passenger planes[/caption]
GettyJo Ann Ussery’s plane has a bath in the cockpit[/caption]
The LIFE Images Collection via GThe cabin is 12 feet wide[/caption]
GettyJo Ann lived in the aircraft for five years[/caption]
Beautician Jo Ann started the trend after her brother-in-law, air traffic controller Bob Farrow, suggested the idea.
Jo Ann bought an old Boeing 727 that was destined for the dump after her own home was destroyed in a house fire.
She purchased the aircraft, which ran from May 11, 1968 until September 20, 1993, for $2,000 in 1994.
The plane was shipped to a plot of land in Benoit, Mississippi, where Jo Ann spent six months renovating the 12-foot wide cabin into her dream home.
Despite the overhaul, some of the plane’s features were kept the same.
For example, one of the plane’s bathrooms was kept as a toilet and overhead luggage compartments were used as storage space.
But other features were added, including a hot tub and a bath in the cockpit.
According to Airport Journals, her dream house – nicknamed “Little Trump” after Donald Trump’s $16-million corporate jet – has three bedrooms, a living room, a full kitchen, a laundry room, and a master bathroom inside.
In an interview with NBC’s Today Show more than 20 years ago, Jo Ann said it cost approximately $30,000 ($60,000 or £49,860 now) to set up the plane with necessary heating, plumping, and electrical elements.
Jo Ann told the Good News Center: “The plane is 27 years old and it’s the best home in the world. It has all the things you want in a home.
Electrical engineer and aviation enthusiast Bruce Campbell hear about Jo Ann’s home on the radio in the late 1990s and felt inspired.
In 1999, he bought an abandoned Boeing 727 in Greece before having it flown to Oregon where he lives.
Bruce paid $100,000 (£82,990) for the plane, and then paid another $120,000 (£99,588) to have it moved to the United States.
Many of the parts were stripped from Bruce’s aircraft, including the engine so it can’t fly.
He then spent another $15,000 (£12,448) renovating the 1,066sqft of space, which took two years, and has lived in it ever since.
His bedroom consists of a futon sofa which serves as a bed, along with an electric blanket which means he often works from it in the winter.
He also has an inside shower, a private and guest toilet as well as a sink and washing machine.
He said he doesn’t have much of a kitchen island as he “isn’t much of a cook” but has a microwave, toaster oven and fridge.
Bruce reuses the 727 food service cart as a pantry and installed an overhead locker for storage.
Bruce told CCN Travel: “I still stand on Jo Ann’s shoulders and I’m grateful for the proof of concept.
“I would never live in a conventional home. No chance. If Scotty beamed me to inner Mongolia, erased my fingerprints and forced me to live in a conventional structure, I’d do what I have to do to survive – but otherwise, it’s a jetliner for me anytime.
Meanwhile one Boeing 737 plane has been transformed into a luxury hotel in Bali, and guests are invited to spend the night.
The Private Jet Villa can now be found on the clifftop, and officially opens to guests in March 2023.
Here are some other Boeing 747 conversions which includes hotels, party pads and cafes.
Exclusivepix MediaA man has explained why he bought and converted an abandoned Boeing plane to live in[/caption]
Exclusivepix MediaBruce bought the plane back in 1999[/caption]
Media Drum WorldThe cockpit remains intact[/caption]
AirplaneHome.com / mediadrumworlHe hopes to convert even more planes to live in[/caption]