From Flight Deck to Home Sweet Home: Woman Transforms Boeingplane Into Functional Residence

“From Aviation to Abode: A Woman Converts a Boeing 727 into an Opulent Residence”

Unconventional building materials, such as shipping containers, buses, and tiny houses, have become more and more popular as distinctive dwelling options in recent years. These substitutes provide comfort, affordability, and the ability to customize. Nonetheless, Jo Ann Ussery started her remarkable home project long before these patterns became apparent.

Ussery, a widow with two children and little money, looked for help after her home in Benoit, Mississippi was destroyed in 1993. She thought about getting a trailer at first, but it wasn’t big enough for her family. Her brother-in-law, an air traffic controller, then proposed living aboard an aircraft.

Captivated by the concept, Ussery investigated a retired Boeing 727, which was offered for just $2,000, including delivery. She dubbed her new residence “Little Trump” with affection, drawing inspiration from Donald Trump’s personal Boeing 727. She started an ambitious change with renovations costing less than $30,000.

After Ussery positioned the aircraft over a lake on her land, she started renovating the interior, which spanned 1,500 square feet. For optimal use of available space, she installed new flooring, increased insulation, and kept the original overhead bins and airplane restroom. With 76 windows and a length of 138 feet, the plane offered plenty of space and natural light.

Independently, Ussery finished the primary modifications and then added the finishing touches and amenities. Three bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, laundry room, oven, phone, and washer-dryer were all featured in the remodeled interior. Most notably, she converted the cockpit into an opulent master bath complete with a soaking tub and a peaceful view of the lake.

From 1995 to 1999, Ussery lived on her converted jet and eventually opened it as a museum for the public. Sadly, the aircraft crashed and burned after falling off its carriage during shipment. But Ussery’s incredible effort endures because to these amazing photos, which highlight her inventiveness and commitment to building a genuinely one-of-a-kind home.