Man Who Bought A Boeing Plane n Turned It Into A Home In The Woods

One would come across an unprecedented way of living in the woods surrounding Portland, Oregon near the city's western Hillsboro suburb.  Isolated between the pines, propped up on two massive concrete pillars - is a Boeing 727 passenger jetliner.

At first, you might think it has crash landed there and had been salvaged. but in actuality, the plane has been placed there very intentionally, by one man with a very unique vision.

Who is this person, and why has he bought and placed a perfectly good plane in the middle of a forest?

In a small stretch of unobtrusive, cleared out land, rests a Boeing 727.

Between the 1960s and late '80s, Boeing 727s were some of the most widely used planes by major international airlines - but, as they began to be phased out in the 1990s, their prices dropped.

Retired planes are usually ground up for scraps - but in 1999, a man by the name of Bruce Campbell purchased one of these iconic jetliners - with very specific plans in mind.

Bruce Campbell bought the plane for around $100,000 shortly before it was scheduled to be scrapped, and, after meticulous planning, positioned it in a stretch of land that he bought back in the 1970s.

Campbell is a retired, 65-year-old electrical engineer.

When he purchased his Boeing 727, he did so with one simple purpose: to live in it.

“When properly executed," Bruce explains, "the remarkable appeal of a retired jetliner as a home springs from the magnificent technology and beauty of the sculptured structure itself. Jetliners are masterful works of aerospace science, and their superlative engineering grace is unmatched by any other structures people can live within. They’re incredibly strong, durable, and long lived. And they easily withstand any earthquake or storm."

Changing the plane lighting, wiring and other systems, Bruce has managed to convert the plane into more than just a fully functioning home - it is, in his words, an “aerospace class castle."

When you clear a plane of its seating and take a moment to walk through it, you begin to realize just how huge commercial aircraft really are.

With its huge floorspace, a Boeing 727 can carry up to nearly 200 passengers, their luggage - as well as a flight crew, food trolleys, emergency equipment and more.

Bruce considers his Boeing 727 his home, but it is much more than that, as well.

In addition to being a tinkerer's dream, the plane also serves as a creative outlet not just for Bruce, but also for the creative community in Portland.

Some of Bruce's most popular and visible events are musical shows he organizes with the help of fellow creatives, called "Turbulence Live" and "Concert on a Wing."

In these events, audiences are invited to the forest, to experience live shows - with the plane's wings serving as stages.

Bruce lives on his Boeing 727 alone - but he's never lonely.

The plane's extensive floorspace and infrastructure offer ample space for multiple people, and Bruce doesn't hesitate to share.