A Woman Transforms a Boeing 747 into a Dream Home

The Ultimate Housing Adventure

More and more people are starting to build homes using unusual materials such as buses, tiny houses, and shipping containers. This trend is becoming really popular!

These special and budget-friendly options provide the same comfort and lots of ways to personalize them. But Jo Ann Ussery was the one who started this trend way before it was cool.

In 1993, when her house in Benoit, Mississippi, was destroyed, she started an amazing journey by turning an old Boeing 727 into a beautiful and livable home.

From Tragedy to Triumph

Ussery’s story started when her husband suddenly died, which left her and her two kids searching for a new home. Since money was tight, she first considered getting a trailer to solve their housing problem.

But then she figured out that she couldn’t buy a house big enough for her expanding family. That’s when Bob, Ussery’s brother-in-law who works as an air traffic controller, came up with a unique suggestion – how about living on a plane?

Ussery was really curious about the idea, so he decided to check out a Boeing 727 that had been taken apart. When he saw it, he instantly fell in love! The coolest thing was that it only cost $2,000, and that included shipping! Since Donald Trump had a private Boeing 727 too, Ussery thought it would be fun to name his new plane “Little Trump.”

Ussery was super determined and full of ideas as she started the big job of turning the plane into a one-of-a-kind cozy home. She kicked off this project for under $30,000, which is about $60,000 now, knowing it would take a lot of time and money to finish.

Making sure the plane stayed stable while it was being worked on was really important, so she carefully landed it on her land with the front pointing towards a beautiful lake. The back of the plane was securely fastened with concrete to hold it steady.

After setting everything up, Ussery was super excited to start taking apart the inside of the huge space, which was 1,500 square feet! The airplane was almost 138 feet long and had 76 windows, so it let in a ton of natural light.

Ussery made some key changes to the plane’s design to turn her idea into reality. Even though the original windows didn’t work, the air conditioning system kept everything nice and comfy inside.

She focused on making the insulation better and put in new floors all over the airplane. Plus, Ussery cleverly turned the plane’s bathroom and overhead storage into smart space-saving ideas. The outcome? A super well-designed living area that used the space really well.

A Unique Oasis of Comfort

After finishing the big renovations, Ussery focused on creating an amazing and cozy home. The updated plane now had three bedrooms, a warm living room, a fully equipped kitchen, and even a handy laundry area.

Ussery didn’t stop at just the usual upgrades; she really took it to the next level by adding some surprising luxuries to her redesigned jet, like a phone and an oven. But the best part of her new design was definitely turning the cockpit into an amazing master bathroom.

Ussery smartly put in a soaking tub to enjoy the amazing views outside. The room was carefully designed so that anyone who walked in would feel like they were gliding on water.

What makes Ussery’s achievement really special is that she did this amazing change all by herself. From 1995 to 1999, she and her kids lived in their transformed airplane, enjoying the fun of their one-of-a-kind home.

Ussery had such a great time with her project that she chose to show it to everyone by turning it into a public museum. Unfortunately, while they were moving the airplane just a little bit, something went wrong, and it fell off the carriage and broke apart.

Even though Ussery’s Boeing 727 isn’t flying in the air anymore, its story still fascinates and motivates people. Her amazing adventure of transforming an old airplane into a unique home shows that with imagination, creativity, and hard work, anyone can make a living space that stands out.

Jo Ann Ussery’s journey shows us that there are endless opportunities when we are brave enough to think creatively and turn our dreams into real life.