As an American, 20 has been living in an airplane for years.

I have always been admired by people with big dreams, and especially with dreams on the verge of madness. Bruce Campbell - the hero of my new article - more than anyone else fits this description. His story is a clear example of the fact that if your dreams do not frighten you, then they are not big enough, writes Olga Khristoforova on his blog Holaolly.

Photos from personal archive

Living in Oregon for almost two years, I first heard the story of the plane house for the first time recently and I immediately got an idea to see it with my own eyes. Surprisingly, for almost 20 years of its existence, the house-plane has not yet become a local landmark, and most Oregon residents have never heard of it. Probably, the owner is not particularly happy for visitors and does not want to turn his home into an attraction for onlookers, - I thought, but still took up the search for contacts of an unusual homeowner. Contacting Bruce Campbell was much easier than I imagined. Sending him a letter requesting an interview for a Russian magazine, the very next day I received a verbose and extremely friendly reply with an invitation to come at any time convenient for me. In addition, the letter contained a detailed address, safety instructions, rules for parking a car in the forest, and advice to dress more warmly, since the plane is only partially heated. Go

Photos from personal archive

Armed with rubber boots, a raincoat and a cherry pie, my friend Liza and I went to the meeting. In just one hour of our journey, somewhere in the middle of a deserted rain forest, Google maps notified us that there was a little less than a mile to the destination. Then we noticed him. In a roadside ditch, a stranger with a big shovel and with no less enthusiasm either dug up something, or dug in someone - you wouldn't understand right away. In a smiling stranger, I was surprised to find out that Bruce Campbell himself, whose photos I had seen in articles. Having greeted us kindly, Bruce dispelled our fears about the corpse in the ditch and explained that he had to clear the drainage hole, which was filled up with earth during the road works. I also apologized that the dirt road leading to his house was washed away by rain, and we would not drive there by car. And he led us through the forest on foot, on the way telling his amazing story.

Photos from personal archive

Over the years of his work as an electrical engineer, Bruce managed to save up the amount of money needed to buy a house. But he was not going to live in a “stick house”, as Bruce calls the typical American wooden houses. He liked the idea of ​​using a decommissioned plane as home much more. After a long search in 1999, Bruce found a suitable company that was engaged in the disposal of decommissioned aircraft. Bringing the negotiated 100 thousand dollars, Bruce became the proud owner Boeing 727-200, 1969 year of release, previously owned by a Greek airline Olympic Airlines. Among the 40 thousand flights that made this airliner, was one special. In March, 1975, on board this aircraft, was Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who accompanied the body of her late husband, Aristotle Onassis. The coffin was brought from France to Greece, where he was buried. Bruce found out about this sad flight only several years after the purchase of an airliner, comparing the registration number of his home plane with archival images of the Onassis couple arriving in Greece.

Another 120 thousand dollars Bruce had to spend on dismantling the tail and wings; on the rental of aircraft parking; as well as for the transportation of the aircraft - first from a nearby airport to a temporary parking place, and then to a permanent place. Bruce had to dismantle the wings and tail in order to drag the plane through a thicket of forest to his plot of land. Transportation aircraft Bruce entrusted the company, which specializes in the transport of buildings, whose services he was very pleased. Can not be said about the company's services for the disposal of aircraft, a deal with which Bruce calls his biggest mistake, because the acquired aircraft lacked not only the engines (which was discussed), but also parts of the dashboard and electrical system of the aircraft. To restore the missing parts, Bruce took years of life and many thousands of dollars, which he recalls with a smile, considering it a positive experience.

Photos from personal archive

On your website www.airplanehome.com Bruce shares in detail all the details of his project and strongly recommends everyone to repeat his path: first, not to buy a plane for salvage; secondly, by no means dismantle anything, since it was unreasonably difficult to reassemble the plane.

Photos from personal archive

Listening to this incredible story of Bruce, we did not notice how the aircraft’s fuselage appeared behind the trees on a hillock. I had nothing more strange to see before. A huge passenger liner, perched on makeshift wooden supports, stood in the middle of a dense pine forest. After a short excursion outside, Bruce invited us inside. At the ramp, he asked us to thoroughly wipe our feet, and, after getting on the plane, he gave us guest slippers. Go

Photos from personal archive

Inside, the only source of light was the rays of the setting sun, making their way through the windows-portholes. Electricity for some reason incomprehensible to Bruce turned off just shortly before our arrival. The first thing that caught my eye was the transparent Plexiglas floor, which Bruce had installed so that through him the insides of the airliner could be seen. A sofa, a fridge, shelves with edible supplies, a clothes hanger, a washing machine, a sink and a homemade shower were arranged along the walls. On the desktop were installed two stationary computers, two laptops, radio equipment and other, mysterious equipment for me. Despite the obvious lack of free space, all this was clearly kept clean and tidy.

Former passenger cabin Boeing 727-200. Photos from the personal archive

In the middle of the cabin of the aircraft along the wall in a row stood a couple of dozen passenger seats, but on the contrary, knightly armor proudly glistened next to the clothes dryer. Seeing our bewilderment, Bruce introduced the metal idol to John and told him that he got from his parents, who served in aviation and brought him from Europe during the Second World War. Go

Knightly armor named John is another inhabitant of the airplane house. Photo from personal archive

The further excursion continued on the wing of the plane, where we exited through the emergency door. Several times a year, Bruce gathers guests at his home and organizes musical evenings, which he calls “Concerts on the Wings.” The main star of the evening, as a rule, is his good friend Yuko Pomily, a singer from Japan, whose work he supports in every possible way.

We started the walk on the wing with a briefing on opening the emergency hatch. Photo from the personal archive

After a short break for a tea party with a cherry pie, which Bruce enjoyed as a child, the tour continued in the cockpit. Sighing, Bruce lamented the crumbling dashboard and continued his story.

Excursion in the cockpit. Photos from the personal archive

Photos from personal archive

Currently, being a pensioner at the age of 67 years, Bruce is working hard on his second project, which will be even grander than the first. In the next few years, Bruce plans to acquire another aircraft (allegedly a Boeing 747-400) and install it in the Japanese city of Miyazaki, which Bruce calls his second home. Acknowledging his great love for Japan, Bruce considers it to be much more civilized than any other country in the world. With glowing eyes, Bruce talked about his cherished dream of making his future house-plane a public project that would show people all over the world that decommissioned airplanes can serve as an excellent home, especially in such a seismically unstable area as the coast of Japan. The budget of this project is estimated at tens of millions of dollars that Bruce plans to collect by investing in companies in the technology industry. Having studied the basics of the investment market, several years ago he managed to earn the necessary 13 millions on securities, but due to inexperience in the field of investment, Bruce did not withdraw his assets from the market in time, because of which he lost most of his savings.

Living room, bedroom and office home-plane. Photos from the personal archive

Photos from personal archive

Remembering the mistakes of his first project, Bruce plans to fly his next plane directly from the airline, arguing that if the 3 plane is written off daily in the world, this time he will be able to purchase an airliner in full strength and at a reasonable price. With a proposal for the deal, Bruce plans to turn to Richard Branson, a well-known English tycoon, investor and philanthropist who owns the airline Virgin America Airlines. Bruce’s ambitious plan is designed for a non-standard-minded businessman like Richard Branson to be interested in investing in his project and turning one of his decommissioned aircraft into a unique and socially significant project. Go

In more successful nights the plane is lit much brighter. Photo from personal archive

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