Oregon man bought an entire Boeing 737 from a salvage yard just to live in it
Published on Jun 17, 2025 at 8:26 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Jun 17, 2025 at 8:26 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
A retired electrical engineer from Hillsboro, Oregon, has a living arrangement that probably won’t take off anytime soon – his home is a converted Boeing 737 that he bought from a salvage yard.
The unique airplane home was Bruce Campbell’s lifelong dream – but he thought it was pie in the sky.
He finally made his dream a reality in 1999 when he bought a Boeing 737 for $100,000.
However, living on an aircraft isn’t the weirdest part of this story.
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While any Boeing 737 is an address that will raise eyebrows – this aircraft had a history that made it a little more noteworthy than your average airplane.
The plane, which he found in a salvage yard in Greece, once transported the remains of Aristotle Onassis, who owned an airline.
For those who aren’t brushed up on their US history, he was the second husband of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
The former First Lady married the Greek businessman after the death of her first husband, President John F. Kennedy.

In addition to the initial $100,000 for the plane, transporting the aircraft from Greece to the 10 acres of land he bought in Hillsboro cost him $120,000.
The expansive plot of land itself cost him $25,800.
Then, because he wanted extra legroom, the renovations necessary to make the jet a home set Campbell back more than $15,000.

Fulfilling your dreams, however, is priceless.
“When you live in a structure like this, you feel a little more fulfilled with your life,” he told CNBC.
He believes the aircraft to be an elegant, structurally superior, and fulfilling living space, especially for those who appreciate aerospace technology.

The result was around 1,066 square feet of living space, which includes the cockpit, main cabin, and two bathrooms. However, some private planes are already palaces in the sky.
His minimalist setup includes a microwave, toaster oven, and a futon/sofa workbench instead of traditional furniture and kitchen appliances.
He allows self-guided outdoor tours any day during daylight hours and interior tours if he’s available.

However, while his setup is rare – but not unique, as this converted airplane home in Alaska proves – Campbell believes this could be a future trend for housing and wants to repurpose more planes globally.
Campbell advocates repurposing retired jetliners as sustainable living spaces instead of letting them be scrapped.
Rather than Greece, though, he hopes to acquire additional jets from salvage yards in Japan and New Zealand.
Want to try it for yourself? This Boeing 727 was rescued from an aircraft graveyard and transformed into a stunning Airbnb that you can stay in.
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London-based Amelia cut her journalistic teeth covering all things lifestyle, wellness, and luxury in the UK capital. Fast-forward a decade and the senior content writer and editor has put pen to paper for glossy magazines, busy newsrooms, and coveted brands. When her OOO is on from writing about cars and heading up on-site SEO you can find her spending quality time with her young family, in the gym, or exploring the city she loves.