What would you do if you found an airplane out in the forest? Would you think that it was the wreckage from some forgotten accident or a burial ground for old planes put out to pasture? If you happened to be walking through Hillsboro, Oregon, then it’s none of these—in fact, you’ve just stumbled upon the living quarters of a retired electrical engineer and quite inventive man named Bruce Campbell.

Bruce has found a new passion for himself in his old age. He can’t bear to see otherwise good planes turned to scrap metal, so he recycles them into gorgeous homes. This stems from his belief that the potential in an airplane is much greater than just flying through the air. By using his imagination, an old plane, some land, and a little know-how, he has created one of the most original houses of all mankind.

Keep reading to find out how he constructed this unique apartment and to get a glimpse inside!

A Man with a Vision

Ever since he was a young man, this 64-year old retired electrical engineer has always been a man with a vision. Bruce Campbell bought a 10-acre plot in the middle of the woods in Hillsboro, Oregon when he was in his twenties for $23,000. He had a very specific plan in mind.

From his earliest days, Campbell always enjoyed tinkering with old things and reinventing new purposes for them. Because of this interest, his original plan with his plot of land was to make a home for himself out of a several freight vans. He kept this goal in mind for many years, until one day he heard about somebody else’s creation.

Plane Envy

When he was in his 40s, Bruce learned about Joanne Ussery, a hairdresser from Mississippi who had transformed a retired Boeing 727 airplane into a unique home. After her conventional home burned to the ground, she got fed up and moved into an airplane next to a relaxing lake.

Though he was already underway with his freight van plans, Campbell was struck with inspiration. He decided that a plane would be a lot more fun to tinker around with than vans, and he also had a conviction that turning an airplane into scrap was a real shame. He already had the land to put the plane on, but now he needed some funds to acquire the plane and haul it over to his plot in Oregon.

Man Buys Boeing

Though we don’t often hear about private citizens buying Boeing 727 airbuses, that’s exactly what Bruce did in 1999. He purchased it from Olympic Airways, based in Athens, for a staggering $100,000. Now he just needed to figure out how to get it home.

Of his entire journey in #planelife, getting that plane to Oregon turned out to be the most difficult hurdle to overcome. It ended up costing him another $120,000, putting the entire cost of the plane—which he still needed to renovate—at $220,000. Maybe money can’t buy happiness, but if living in the middle of the woods in an old plane is your idea of happiness, then maybe it sure can.

Moving Day

This technology buff was eager to get his hands on his new toy, but first, he needed to finish moving the aircraft into the Oregon forest. Quite a few men worked to detach the wings from the plane so that they could move it over to that isolated land that Campbell calls home.

They took off the wings so that Campbell could put them back on once the plane had arrived at its final destination. Bruce recalls having begun the project as a “work in progress,” but over the years it would turn into something much more as a result of his industry and creativity.

Hard at Work

When Bruce started his venture, he just saw it as a fun pastime and didn’t really think too much about the end result. Nonetheless, he knew that he wanted to improve the livability of the plane because of his strong belief that aircraft could become incredible homes instead of being wasted and “mindlessly scrapped.”

For years on end, Campbell toiled in the fuselage while he lived “next door” in the freight vans. It was a hard task to move into the woods, but he was a man on a mission and would stop at nothing to get it done. As the vans became infested with mice, Bruce had no choice but to take up residence in the airplane without a building permit. It was at this time that he began to truly understand the space that he was working on, a space that you might not believe was once a functional airplane.

The Marriage of Art and Science

During an interview with The Mirror, Bruce explained that “shredding a beautiful and scintillating jetliner is a tragedy in waste and a profound failure of the human imagination.” He continued that some folks might think it’s strange and lonely to live all by yourself in the woods in an old airplane, but he reports that it feels completely natural for him. He said that planes have an “engineering grace unmatched by any other structures people can live within.”

Though he never had a definite plan for the interior of his Boeing Airbus, his vision captivated him once he moved in. “Next time you’re in a jetliner, close your eyes from a moment and remove all the seats, all the other people from your mind,” he said to Business Insider at one time. “Then open your eyes with that vision and consider the expanse of the living room. It’s a good environment; it really is.”

A Quick Shower

In anticipation of revealing his masterpiece to the general public, Bruce gave his new home a bath with a high-pressure water hose. According to his report to Daily Mail, it might sound like a simple task, but, in fact, the whole process takes about four days.

Not only does he need to clean up his Boeing 727 every two years, he needs to use ladders to get on top of the plane and to wash out the engine. This task involves a certain degree of risk too, because it’s a long way to fall down or the water sprayer could swing without warning. It’s no wonder that cleaning it makes him nervous, but in the end it’s all worth it.

Aerospace Class Castle

By Bruce’s luminous vision, every jetliner has a destiny: to become an “aerospace class castle” meant for human residency. “If a conventional home is a legacy age family Chevy or Ford, an airliner is a fresh new Tesla or Porsche Carrera,” he boasted during a talk with Daily Mail.

In true castle style, Campbell’s airplane-turned-home is supported by concrete pillars and also has its very own driveway connected to nearby Hillsboro, Oregon. Whenever he gets visitors, they are always impressed with the amount of effort put into the plane and easily realize that the plane didn’t just land there out of nowhere.

Work in Progress

Bruce likes to leave as much of the original technology intact as possible, especially the controls that he found in the cockpit. Nonetheless, he’s had to change a couple of things inside to make the plane suitable to live in. Imagine if he had to sit in a cramped airline seat with no leg room all the time!

For Bruce, this airplane is always a work in progress while still being a completely functional house. He built his own homemade shower and has also restored some neat features like flight stairs and the too-familiar airplane lavatory. He’s also put in LED lighting and even some original seating. At this point, you must really be wondering what this place looks like as of today.

Welcome Home

To access Bruce’s Boeing house, one has to climb up the original fold-down stairwell, just as many passengers did when it was still flying around the world. Bruce loves to have this original feel to his plane-home.

He’s even paid attention to the little details, like installing a shoe rack at the front of the plane. This rack holds many pairs of slippers that visitors can slip on so that they feel right at home inside the airplane. Plus, since it’s hard to clean such a massive home, Bruce requests that all guests either wear slippers or socks in his house so that they don’t track in the dirt.

House Rules

Especially since the floor is made of glass, and he lives in a dirty forest, it’s especially difficult for him to keep clean. This is why the socks/slippers rule is such an important part of Bruce’s home. Even though the man lives alone, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t like to live in a clean and orderly place.

Bruce himself only walks around his Boeing in slippers and socks as well. He wants to keep the Plexiglas floors as clean as pristine as possible, because he loves to gaze with wonder through his glass flooring, letting his imagination race with possibilities for his jetliner.

Life in the Plane

Though the jetliner has as much space as a small mansion, Bruce still lives an overall modest lifestyle. His bed is a futon, his kitchen is a microwave and toaster, and he eats mostly cereal and canned foods. He also invents quite a bit of makeshift equipment.

Here you can see Bruce hanging out on his futon alongside a collection of his things. When he isn’t taking it easy, you can often find him hard at work to renovate his airliner home. Up next is the bathroom!

Homemade Shower

The Boeing came equipped with two lavatories already installed, but our favorite part is the makeshift shower in the plane’s tail end. So that his home could have the modern conveniences of running water and electricity, he dug out a path to reroute a good power line.

He then fused an antique meter base with an old power cable before attaching a new circuit breaker cabinet into the jetliner with a telecom cable, PVC conduit tubing, and a backup water pipe. Now he can shave and brush his teeth with only the cleanest of water.

Ready to Fly

Though the cockpit is still equipped with all of the original tools and controls, Bruce has converted this most important area into a reading and entertainment spot. He loves working on improving this area of the plane because he enjoys playing with all the fun tech.

“It’s a great toy. Trick doors, trick floors. Hatches here hatches there. Star Trek movies in a Stark-Trek like setting,” he gushed to Business Insider. He continued by gloating about how life inside an airplane is like heaven for a tech geek like himself: “Having lots of little toys enclosed in a very big toy is nirvana.”

An Engineer’s Paradise

For a great portion of each day, Bruce sits in the plane working on his computer, planning how he will further improve the design of his aero-home. He really gets a lot of kicks out of this whole process. He reported to Daily Mail, “I think most people are nerds in their hearts in some measure. The point is to have fun.”

Working and living in an airplane must truly be an engineer’s paradise. By inhibiting the space, he has come to truly understand it and get a new perspective on how he can improve it.

Lighting up the Plane

In addition to a homemade plumbing system, Bruce also worked to restore both the interior and exterior lights. It’s not an easy job to live alone in the forest, so he makes sure that he still has some modern comforts like hot water and lighting.

Basically, the plane is just like a normal home at night. Bruce can read, relax, work, or research at any time of day or night because of his feat of electrical engineering. He also worked on the original LED lights because they are better for the environment.

Yard Maintenance

Just like Bruce takes meticulous care of the airplane itself, he also loves to tend to his “yard” around the plane. It certainly makes it seem more like home, as he’s always working on maintaining the grass and weeds around the jetliner.

Every week he mows the grass and clears the weeds beneath the airplane so that it always looks acceptable. What would the neighbors say otherwise? It may not be easy, but Bruce Campbell isn’t one to take the easy way out.

Good for the Earth

During an interview with Daily Mail, a reporter asked why his life’s mission is transforming airplanes into livable homes. Bruce responded by telling them how good it is for the earth and for the people living in them. He explained that airplanes are extremely durable and that they would have no problem making it through storms or earthquakes.

Plus, his personal Boeing is a breeze to clean. “Their interiors are easy to keep immaculately clean because they are sealed pressure canisters. They could last for centuries,” said Bruce. He also thinks that, once word gets out to the public about the amazing environmental benefits of this practice, more people will want to live in renovated airplanes.

Meal Time

Though there are people who may not want to live on an airplane because they lack certain amenities of other homes, Bruce is living proof that this isn’t actually true. Since he lives close to the city, he has easy access to any supplies that he needs.

As you can tell, his kitchen is well-equipped with plenty of food, condiments, and other supplies. Sure, he can’t whip up a gourmet dinner, but he’s more interested in tech and loving life on the airplane rather than haute cuisine. Since the kitchen boasts running water, a toaster, and microwave, he has no problem whipping up some food to keep him going. At least he’s not eating a diet of airplane food!

Land-locked

Bruce’s plane may forever be land-locked, yet his aeronautical home still offers that high-in-the-sky feeling. To keep this effect, he left a row of original seats so that he is still reminded of the plane’s capacity for flight.

Though many of the plane’s chairs have been removed so that he has room to live, he thought it was important to keep some of the authentic seats as a reminder about why he loves to live in an airplane. Even beyond that, guests are free to chill in these oh-so-comfortable seats for as long as their hearts desire.

Play Time

Bruce loves to spend time in the cockpit. His imagination runs wild in that area, and it’s where he prefers to dream up the next step for his project. He also likes to relax and read in this spot. Really, it’s a personalized game room.

When he’s sitting in the cockpit, he can picture himself as a pilot and imagine what it would be like to be soaring through the air. He loves playing with all of the gadgets and figuring out what they do. As a tech nerd, it’s a true heaven.

Mile High Hygiene

Don’t worry, Bruce Campbell has personal hygiene figured out aboard his plane home. He uses clean water to brush his teeth and even installed his very own washing machine so that he can wear clean clothes.

This man is living proof that, if one is willing to dream big enough and put in the work with a bit of skill, one could live in just about anything. Now you have no excuse not to do your laundry if this guy can!

A Regular Guy

Sure, he may live in an unconventional home, but, at heart, Bruce Campbell is just a regular guy. He looks after himself and even cares about his appearance. In fact, the neat and orderly way that he fashions his home is akin to how he takes care of himself.

Since he’s not on a deserted island or a complete hermit, he always makes sure to shave, shower, and wash just like a normal person. His airplane home has everything he needs to be a civilized human being.

Superior Design

There are actually many benefits to living in an airplane, constructed from solid metal, rather than a more traditional house made of wood. Bruce Campbell explained his views to Business Insider: “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.”

He is also convinced that a conventional rectangular shape is inferior because they focus not on durability but on ergonomics. He insisted, “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.”

Think Logically

Many folks ask him if the plane wrecked in Oregon and he decided to fix it up. Bruce doesn’t appreciate boneheaded questions like this because he finds them completely illogical and not reasonable.

His mission is to inform the public about how much effort goes into a project like his. Though it seems strange to him that not everyone can understand why he would do what he’s doing, he also acknowledges that many people just aren’t aware of what’s possible.

Proud Home-Owner

Just like any other home-owner, Bruce can be seen proudly posing in his aircraft home. Everyone knows that home is where the heart is, and Bruce’s heart is in that cockpit playing with all those tech gadgets that he loves and fixing up his “mobile” home.

Apparently, this isn’t even the end for old Bruce—he has even bigger and better plans for his next project! Keep reading to find out what’s in store for his future and where he’s going to go.

Home Away from Home

Though you may find it hard to believe, Bruce only lives in his Boeing 727 for half of the year. He appreciates a little change in scenery, so for the other six months, he lives in Japan, quite a way away from his airplane home.

While in Japan, this engineer tinkers on other projects to stay busy. One of his ideas, in particular, has garnered a lot of interest for him recently, and you won’t believe what it is. Maybe you could take a good guess?

A Bigger Plane

Well, you probably guessed it! Bruce’s next project is an even bigger airplane, the Boeing 747. He plans on parking this mammoth jetliner in Japan so that he can live in style all year round.

Since he’s worked on helping the environment in one country, it certainly makes sense that he would make a similar effort in his other home. Plus, now that he’s got one renovated airplane under his belt, this next one should be a breeze—or maybe a jet stream!

Hearts and Minds

Bruce is solidly convinced that his purpose in life is to make a difference. He wants to help humanity and the environment through his innovations. Indeed, it only makes sense that a man who worked as an electrical engineer would have such a drive.

Whatever it is about upcycling planes that gets him jazzed up, this niche is very important to him. He’s out to win hearts and minds. “My goal is to change humanity’s behavior in this little niche,” Campbell beamed in front of his unique home.

The Reason for Oregon

Bruce decided to set up shop in his Boeing 727 in the forests of Hillsboro, Oregon for a few easy reasons. Foremost, he got a job there when he graduated in the 70s, and he loves the surrounding natural life. “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,” he wrote on his personal website, www.airplanehome.com.

Though he made plenty of money through his engineering job, he put off home ownership for a long time. In a report to Daily Mail, he said he didn’t want to be financially tied down by the burden of a mortgage. Once he had at last saved up enough money to pay off a home in full, he had something quite different in mind. “I have stopped thinking in provincial terms and I thought like a free bird engineer,” he explained.

Open “House”

Bruce is proud to show off his original abode to the curious and tourists alike. If you’re around Hillsboro, hit him up on his website to schedule a personal tour. You could even stand inside this unique place.

In response to a question about visitors, Campbell reported to Daily Mail, “It happens frequently; it happens almost every day now and I encourage it.” He’s glad that other people want to appreciate his innovation and lifestyle, and of course, he loves to spread his message. He wants everyone to know that the aircraft is “a great toy” and “one of the finest structures mankind has ever built.”

Unexpected Visitors

Throughout the years’ many people have toured Campbell’s incredible Boeing home, and, of course, there have been some awkward times. Once, while he was taking a shower, several curious people just walked aboard for a visit.

Bruce reports that three-quarters of his guests contact him ahead of time to schedule a visit through his website, whereas the rest just show up out of the blue. “I live in a pretty transparent environment. I got about living while people are touring my aircraft and sometimes it’s very intimate,” he explained to Daily Mail. Still, he finds it quite rewarding because he gets to meet lots of nice people and learn a great deal.

A Unique Event

In addition to hosting tours of his interesting home, he also provides several major events throughout the year. For instance, from June 30 to July 3 in 2018, he hosted Yoko Pomily, a singer from Tokyo, alongside other musicians for a unique concert. It happened in the grassy area out front of his airliner’s right wing.

He sent out notice of the show on his website, talking about it as “a new concert option: Super music rendered from the wing of a scintillating aerospace home” with many guidelines and instructions. He told guests that they should show up in comfy clothes fit for a rural area and tennis or running shoes. Bruce even offered slippers for everyone who wanted to come and take a look inside.

Turbulence Dance Party

Another awesome event at Bruce’s crib was a huge DJ dance party co-hosted by Muderboat Productions, a Portland-based party promotion company. It was on September 7th to 9th, 2018.

They called it Turbulence: A Dance Party at a 727 in the Woods, and the DJs set up their systems on the wing while the guests partied on the ground nearby. Guests also got to tour the inside of the aircraft. According to Facebook, 2,600 people went to enjoy art, beer, and food around the aircraft with the permission of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission.

You can find more info and see pics here: https://www.facebook.com/events/290725388134131/

Mile High Club?

Bruce is happy with his life just the way it is in his unique bachelor pad and wouldn’t even consider changing it—not even for the love of his life. “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 extolled in an interview with Daily Mail.

Since he loves his non-conforming household, it only makes sense that a traditional idea like marriage would be just as stifling to him as a mortgage. Nonetheless, he is quite close to his neighbors, and they are completely supportive of his vision. Furthermore, even though he lives a modest life, he has quite a few ambitions, such as his next project that’s currently in the works.

Aerospace Castle V2.0

As you know, Bruce divides his time between his Boeing 727 in Oregon’s forest and Japan, the county that he hopes to start his next project in. Soon he hopes to get a little piece of land and put a Boeing 757-400 on top of it.

This man is unbelievably enthusiastic about upcycling airplanes and is convinced that everyone else would feel the same if they visit the plane for a tour or an event. On his website, Campbell writes his mission is to “spark a renaissance of thought about how to utilize this remarkable resource.” He wants to spread the gospel and help others to renovate their own airplane homes as well.

Rebel with a Cause

This gifted engineer is scheduled to begin his Japan aerospace castle project in 2018 on the island of Kyushu. He had decided to put his plane there because he wants the plane to also be a boon to the local community, not just to himself.

His goal is to make this airplane into a tsunami lifeboat for locations that face great risk of a tsunami, like Kyushu. Bruce wants everyone to know that airplanes can last for a really long and time and withstand intense conditions, as they were made to fly through the air at high speeds.

The Oregon Model

For his Oregon home, Campbell opted for a 727-400 model, a product of Boeing from 1960 to 1984. It was made for short and medium length flights so that it could utilize some of the shorter runways at small airports.

It is the only model that Boeing Commercial Airplanes constructed that has three engines, and it can seat anywhere from 149 to 189. The last major US carrier to use this type of plane was Delta Air Lines, and they retired their last 727 in April 2003, whereas Northwest Airlines retired their last 727 in June 2003. Currently, only Iran Aseman Airlines operates three separate planes of this model for flight service.

A Famous Flight

Prior to Campbell’s acquisition of this particular jetliner, the plane obviously flew people all around the world. In fact, this very jet even flew the dead body of one really famous person!

The steel bird, Campbell’s pet name for his aerospace house, flew home the remains of Greek tycoon Aristotle Onassis, back to Greece after he passed away in France due to respiratory failure on March 15, 1975. Jackie Kennedy Onassis, a former First Lady of the United States of America and Aristotle’s friend of many years, flew as a passenger on this famous flight.

Not the Only One

Could you have guessed that Bruce is one of a handful of people around the world who have transformed a retired aircraft into a personal living space? That’s right, from Texas to Costa Rica to the Netherlands, you can find people living in airplanes. Martin Todd, a spokesperson from the Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association (AFRA), said that his 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.”

AFRA is a special-interest group that promotes sustainable practices when it comes to aircraft and their engines. Another spokesperson estimates that between 1,200 and 1,800 will be scrapped over the course of the next three years, whereas 500 to 600 will retire every year over the next 20 years. If we follow in Bruce Campbell’s footsteps, then these are all viable homes for people to live in!

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Sources: Business Insider, Daily Mail, Mirror, Huffington Post, Bored Panda