abandoned plane
Mayukh Saha
Mayukh Saha
December 27, 2023 ·  3 min read

The Life Of The Man Who Lives In The Middle Of The Forest In An Abandoned Plane (+ Photos)

A man lives where he wants to live- be it a house, or a plane. After all, a home is where the heart is. It’s where we go after a tough day at work- to simply kick back and relax. But for some, the very concept of the home could be exciting. This is where Bruce Campbell comes in. He’s a man who lives in a Boeing 727 aircraft.

Bruce Campbell with his house-cum-plane in the background.
Image Credits: Steve Dipaola | Reuters

Since everyone has their own myriad personality, it would be wise to understand that their choice of residence would be different. We can’t blame someone for thinking outside the box (or the fuselage?)- can we? We see people living in boats. Sometimes, we even see people living off-grid in the wilderness. So what if we came across a person who had made a Boeing 727 their home? 

For those wondering, Bruce Campbell has been living inside a plane for quite some time now. He is an inventive engineer who previously purchased a Boeing 727 aircraft fuselage and then upcycled it into a home. The commercial airliner is quite huge and is propped up outside Portland, Oregon.

Campbell working in his furnished plane.
Image Credits: John Brecher | NBCNews

Interestingly, the ‘home’ also has its own driveway that Campbell regularly uses. The design is quite unique- the aircraft contains everything that a traditional house has, except that, well, it is a PLANE! (1)

The aircraft’s owner and designer talks about his plane with pride- and rightful so.

Retirement into an aerospace class castle should be every jetliner’s constructive fate. They should never be mindlessly scrapped.” He further states, “Shedding a beautiful and scintillating jetliner is a tragedy in waste and a profound failure of human imagination.”

Campbell replaced the floorboards with transparent plexiglass.
Image Credits: John Brecher | NBCNews

One can never deny the effort Campbell has put into his aircraft, speaking about it as if it was his baby. He says: “Jetliners are masterful works of aerospace science, and their superlative engineering grace is unmatched by any other structures people can live within.” (2)

The Plane-House Is Still A Work In Progress

It has been noted that Bruce usually spends 6 months of the year in his plane. The rest of the year he spends in Japan. He has been searching for parts of the aircraft all over the island nation- which he would then use in his residential aircraft. The ten acres where he has been building his home has a price of $23,000 when he purchased as a young adult.

The main entryway to the plane
Image Credits: John Brecher | NBCNews

The plane, as one can guess, made an even bigger dent in his purse, but Campbell has no regrets. “They’re incredibly strong, durable, and long-lived. And they easily withstand any earthquake or storm. Their interior is easy to keep immaculately clean because they are sealed pressure canisters.

The only lavatory that Campbell has kept functional.
Image Credits: John Brecher | NBCNews

When Bruce Campbell initially purchased this plane, many were against it, but he was steadfast. He states, “You need to acquire two things: An airliner, and suitable land to host it.” When a man desires to live alone, can anyone really stop him? In fact, Campbell mentions that the biggest task was hauling the aircraft- not the decision. “Then you need to transport your airliner to your land. That’s the most daunting challenge.”

The plane might not be a five-star resort, but it does beat it by simply being unique. What’s more- other than the original plane itself, this has been put together completely by Campbell- who absolutely hates wood. “I don’t mean to offend, but wood is, in my opinion, a terrible building material. Rectangular stick houses cannot withstand strong winds. When they catch fire, they often kill their inhabitants, are easily accessible to thieves, leak, and quickly degrade.”

The man has a vision, and no one should really stop him from fulfilling it. After living a workaholic life, it is high time that he does what gives him joy the most. So if the man wants to make a home out of a plane, for God’s sake- let him! 

Keep Reading: Woman Buys Old World War II Bunker, Then Spends 5 Years Transforming It Into Her Home

Sources

  1. This guy turned an entire Boeing airplane into a house for $220,000, and now he lives in it.” Business Insider. Megan Willett-Wei . February 23, 2016.
  2. Man Lives In A Boeing 727 In The Middle Of The Woods.” Bored Panda. Dovas.