In the early 1970s, Bruce Campbell paid $25,800 for 10 acres of land in Hillsboro, a suburb of Portland, Oregon.
The electrical engineer, now 73, told CNBC his dream began when he saw an airplane graveyard on TV when he was 15. It was there that he decided that he wanted to live on a plane.
In 1999, Campbell was ready to go ahead with his plan, but had no idea how to go about it, so he hired a salvage company to find him a plane.
“It was the worst mistake I ever made. I will never do it again. Salvage companies are the worst,” Campbell said. “I recommend buying a fully functional, intact aircraft, perhaps without the engines.”
After months of searching for a plane, the company found Campbell a Boeing 727 that seats 200 passengers, has 1,066 square feet of interior space and weighs 70,000 pounds. They found it in Greece and it’s kind of a piece of history for the United States.
The plane was used to transport the remains of the airline’s owner, Aristotle Onassis, in 1975. The Greek-Argentine tycoon was married to former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis at the time of his death.
Campbell said he paid $100,000 for the plane, which flew in from Greece to Oregon. Once ready, the plane was towed to Campbell’s lot through the streets of downtown Hillsboro. That process included the removal of its engines and other parts so that the plane would not fly again. Total cost is estimated at $120,000.
Here we explain.
“When you live in a structure like this, you feel a little more satisfied with your life,” he said. “And if you’re an engineer, a scientist, or anyone who appreciates the elegance and beauty of aerospace technology, then it makes for a happy place to live.”
HE SPENT $15,000 AND TOOK 2 YEARS TO TURN THE PLANE INTO A HOUSE
Campbell said he added to the plane a shower, sink, washing machine, refrigerator, and uses a food cart on the plane as his pantry.
Instead of a kitchen, Campbell has a microwave and electric stove, which he says he rarely uses.
“I’m a nerd. I don’t cook, so the kitchen sector is very small,” she clarified. Next to the kitchen there is a sofa bed, which he uses as a bedroom and as a work room.
Her monthly expenses are $370, which includes $220/month in property taxes and $100-$250/month in electric bill.
Campbell said he spends his time fixing old computers, repairing electrical systems on the plane, and giving visitors tours of his exotic home.
“I don’t regret anything I did to follow my dream. I think humanity will embrace this vision that planes can be reused once they are decommissioned,” she said.
Campbell said he also wants to have a plane in Japan, where he spends part of his time.
“I intend to put a home there, in the place and with the people I adore. The only thing I would need would be to recover my youth”.
It is Article It was originally published in English by Celia Fernandez y Beatriz Bajuelos Castillo for our sister network CNBC.com. For more from CNBC enter here.