Californian goes shopping at aircraft boneyard for retired Boeing to create a real-life flight simulator
- This man cut the cockpit out of a Boeing 747 that was set to be scrapped
- He restored it back to its former glory, replacing and restoring every element
- The cockpit is an extension of his house, and is a fully functional flying simulator
Published on Apr 01, 2025 at 2:59 PM (UTC+4)
by Andie Reeves
Last updated on Apr 01, 2025 at 2:59 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
This man has a kitchen extension that’s pretty unusual in that it’s a Boeing 747 cockpit.
He bought the plane from a boneyard and took on the ultimate DIY project.
The aviation enthusiast restored every inch of the cockpit, from the panels to the toggle switches.
But this isn’t just for show – it’s a fully functional flight simulator.
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From scrapyard to simulator
Peter Gottlieb had been working on a fighter jet simulator for 10 years when he decided to change track.
He’d noticed that the airline industry was struggling financially, leading to a boom of scrapped planes from the 70s and 80s.
This meant a surplus of used aircraft parts being sold for very low prices at auction.
As military plane parts became harder to find too, Gottlieb decided to shift his focus.
He was browsing a boneyard in California when a Boeing 747 caught his eye.
These planes are classics for a reason – known for their incredible takeoffs, ability to pull off complex maneuvers, and more.
This isn’t the first time one has been used to make a flight simulator, but it could be the first to be built as a home extension.
The aircraft was set to be scrapped, so Gottlieb had the cockpit cut out and transported to his home in Iowa to begin his project.
The ultimate at home Boeing flight simulator
Gottlieb wanted his project to be worthy of being kept in a museum when it was done.
Simulators can take a wide range of forms, from the man whose daily driver doubles as a simulator to the Red Bull simulator that costs more than an actual supercar
Far from a quick job, he painstakingly restored the Boeing to its former glory.
“The classic analog 747 cockpit was a masterpiece of man-machine interfacing for its time,” he said.
“I felt it deserved to be preserved for future generations to appreciate its complexity in today’s world of computer displays and completely automated aircraft systems.”
He removed and cleaned or replaced every element of the cockpit, leaving no wire untouched.
It took three years to complete, and now Gottlieb has a fully functioning, fixed-base Boeing 747-300 simulator a stone’s throw from his coffee maker.
But while the build is incredibly professional, he left one element with a distinct DIY touch – the pilot’s seat is a simple folding chair.
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Andie is a content writer from South Africa with a background in broadcasting and journalism. Starting her career in the glossy pages of Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire, Andie has a broad portfolio, covering everything from sustainability solutions to celebrity car collections. When not at her laptop Andie can be found sewing, recording her podcast, taking board games too seriously or road-tripping in her bright green Kia.
