HILLSBORO, Ore. — Set back from the road, amid a rainy forest, sits a most unusual home. It's a 727.
More specifically, it's the airplane home of Bruce Campbell.
“Jetliners are basically flying homes,” Campbell said. “They provide everything you need except the clothes washer and shower, which are easy to install. They make terrific homes.”
Built in 1969, this plane once flew passengers for Olympic Airlines, a Greek carrier. Those Greek roots are still visible in the signage for the exit and the lavatories.
Campbell acquired the plane 20 years ago for more than $200,000 and got it moved to this wooded piece of land near Hillsboro, Oregon.
“Jetliners are superior living environments,” Campbell said. “They’re sealed pressure canisters, which are designed to withstand forces and an environment, which ordinary homes can't even begin to withstand.”
Yet it is ordinary, in a number of ways.
Inside are all the basic comforts of a home: running water from a well, electricity from the grid and a bathroom and small kitchen that can handle the basics.
Still, the airplane home gets its fair share of attention online and in person.
“I was just so excited about it,” said Jennie Elisabeth, a visitor who is interested in aviation and saw a post about it on Instagram.
The unexpected visitor brought along her friend to see it as well.
“We wanted to come check it out,” said Jenny Welton. “Living in an airplane sounded like the coolest thing ever.”
It’s more than that for Campbell, though. It’s a broader vision for housing, too.
“It's a good recycling opportunity,” he said, “and I think that opportunity is being sorely wasted right now.”
He carries on the hope of one day seeing planes that retire from the skies land in the world of real estate.
For more information on the airplane home, go to AirplaneHome.com.
