Woman Transforms Retired Boeing 727 Into a Luxury Home
Before tiny houses and shipping container homes became a trend, Jo Ann Ussery from Benoit, Mississippi, turned heads with one of the most unusual housing projects ever — she converted a retired Boeing 727 into her dream home.
In 1993, after losing her house and struggling financially, Ussery needed an affordable place for herself and her two children.
When her brother-in-law, an air traffic controller, suggested buying an old plane, she embraced the idea.
For just $2,000, she purchased a retired Boeing 727 that was headed for dismantling.
She invested under $30,000 (about $60,000 in today’s money) to renovate the aircraft into a livable space of nearly 1,500 square feet.
Inside, she created three bedrooms, a living room, a full kitchen, laundry facilities, and most impressively, a luxury master bathroom in the cockpit overlooking a lake — giving the feeling of floating in midair.
From 1995 to 1999, Ussery lived happily in her one-of-a-kind airplane home before later opening it to the public as a museum.
Sadly, the jet was destroyed during a move, but her bold project remains an unforgettable example of creativity and resilience in alternative housing.
