White Elephant
Oregon has some beautiful sights to take in. The green farmland and rocky mountains that border lush forests bring in people seeking adventure from all parts of the world.
Hikers love going off the beating path and exploring anywhere from wetlands to creeks and wetlands. But a few would spot something hidden amongst the trees.
It Didn’t Belong
This artifact should be displayed in a museum, instead, it's tucked away in between the trees. The people who notice it have way more questions than answers.
How did it end up in the middle of the forest? Was it put here on purpose? Why was there a Boeing 727 in the middle of the forest?
The Boeing 727
For its time, the Boeing 727 was the biggest commercial airplane. It could carry 189 people and was technologically advanced for that the time.
But surely there would be news reports of such a huge plane making a crash landing in a forest? More so it should have been easy to spot going down. So why was this old plane sitting forgotten just west of Hillsboro.
Obsolete
The giant flying vehicle was at the forefront of innovation in the 1970s. But eventually fell out of popularity as new planes were developed to be better, faster, and safer.
As newer technology was advancing new models of planes came out one by one, leaving the 727 behind. The surviving ones were stripped for parts and kept on the ground. But Bruce Campbell would see to one surviving it all.
Bruce Campbell
Bruce Campbell is a 65-year-old electrical engineer who's now retired. But he could always spend hours looking at planes and figuring out how they worked. His favorite was the Boeing 727. So when he found out that he could save one from being sold for parts, he jumped on the opportunity.
The problem was that Bruce Campbell wasn't a pilot, he was an electrical engineer.
Passion Project
Bruce owned some land in the woods and worked for many years in the industry that he loved. He loved wiring, electronics, and much more. He could immerse himself in his work for hours.
So when rumors reached him that a poor innocent Boeing 727 was headed for the scrapyard, he had to preserve this piece of history. But there would be surprises inside.
Revealing The Floor
Bruce paid $100,000 on the Boeing but knew he'd be spending a lot more on what he made his new passion project. There was more than 1,000 square ft of space once he gutted the seats out of the plane.
He was already formulating a plan on what he wanted to do with the steel beast. But would it work out the way he wanted?
The Costs Add Up
The first $100,000 couldn't even cover the shipping and repairs that he had in mind. But the transformation would cost far more than that.
Over time the project would take over $200,000 from Bruce. But would he feel good about it and how would he get that much money?
Cutting Costs
He needed to look for alternative ways of getting his project done. Bruce ripped out everything that was worth something like the seats, food trays, and carpets.
He had gotten a good deal on the plane because of one crucial detail. It didn't include the engine because it would never lift off again since he wasn't a pilot.
Aerospace Castle
“Jetliners are masterful works of aerospace science, and their superlative engineering grace is unmatched by any other structures people can live within,” Bruce explained.
“Retirement into an aerospace class castle should be every jetliner’s constructive fate. They should never be mindlessly scrapped.” So, what does the interior of the plane look like now?
Modest Living
The plane came with all the plumbing and wiring, but it didn’t have a shower. Bruce tackled this problem by making an improvised cabin with hot and cold water, provided by an electric pump. It has a washing machine and a sink, but no fridge.
Bruce likes to live off the land, and what little food he does buy he stores in cans in the aircraft home. He does all his cooking in a microwave or a toaster. The cockpit is where Bruce likes to have a bit more fun…
Cyber Office
Bruce calls the cockpit his “cyber office.” It’s alight with various beeping lights, buttons, and wires – the perfect playground for a tech-junkie like Bruce. He spends hours tinkering with the wiring, and he enjoys watching sci-fi movies while reclining in the pilot’s seat.
Because most of the passenger seats have been removed, Bruce had space to install a modest futon so he could sleep in his dream home. But is living in a Boeing 727 really practical?
Durable
“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,”
“I don’t mean to offend, but wood is in my view a terrible building material,” Bruce wrote on his website.
Easy To Clean
So, the bugs and debris of the forest can’t enter the plane, which makes doing household chores that much easier.
“It’s a great toy,” Bruce says about his airplane home. “Trick doors, trick floors. Hatches here, latches there, clever gadgets everywhere.” But, Bruce only lives in his airplane home for six months of the year.
Eyes On The Next Prize
For the other six months of the year, Bruce opens up his Boeing home to guests from around the world, transforming the plane home into an aerospace hotel.
“Nothing compares to the exhilaration and satisfaction provided by an aerospace-class home, and many people understand this instinctively,” Bruce wrote on his website. But Bruce now has his eyes on something much bigger – a Boeing 747-400, which is three times bigger than the 727.