McDonald's in Taupo, New Zealand, uses an old DC3 to attract visitors
It is sad when an airliner reaches the end of their life and is scraped. Some lucky ones make it to a museum or are in some way preserved for a bit longer. Rarely a business or individual will take an airplane and make it part of their home and business. The website DarkRoastedBlend.com recently took a look at some of the best airplanes on display in places you wouldn’t expect to find them.
Someday I wouldn’t mind having an airliner sitting in my lawn, but I am not sure what my neighbors might think. Do you know of any other old aircraft that are now used in interesting and creative ways?
Thanks Michael for pointing this out!
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We seem to like doing this with old DC3s in New Zealand…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30262508@N04/5410920114/in/photostream/
Another reason why Kiwi’s are awesome 🙂
A 727 being converted into a home on a wooded hillside: http://www.airplanehome.com/ Update on the page says the owner of this plane put the project on hold and went to Japan in 2010 to look into a second plane home from a 747, but not much info beyond that.
Boeing 307 Stratoliner originally owned by Howard Hughes converted to a boat: http://www.planeboats.com/
A 747 used as the launching point for slides in a waterpark: http://www.evergreenmuseum.org/waterpark/
B-17 used as gas station canopy: http://www.thebomber.com/
Nose section has been removed and has been restored…is displayed in on-site museum.
Also…the prototype 747 is now being used as an algae growing experiment outside the Museum of Flight.
Thanks JMX53!
David
You probably already know about El Avion, an old Fairchild freighter turned into a bar, in Costa Rica. And there’s also the Bristol freighter at Woodlyn Park in New Zealand converted into two really slick hotel suites. I love stuff like that.
And Famous 747 Hostel in Stockholm 🙂
http://www.jumbostay.se/
Don’t forget the Hotel Costa Verde:
http://www.costaverde.com/727.html
This is actually one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. I remember you posting a story about a hotel in Costa Rica that made a plan into a hotel room (bungalow). That was cool too!
Here’s another…Sikorsky Helicopter inside a cottage at a resort in Connecticut:
Cottage interior & helicopter exterior http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_vjnYg5QCs
helicopter interior – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grGtWZ3joVw
Some airliners get into buildings before they retire— like in 9/11.
Fictional versions:
Former Flying Tigers Freight 747 converted into a biker bar.
An A319 that disappeared in a storm in 1984 currently found crashed (but damaged a little) on the beach as a romantic hideaway for honeymooners.
Ex- Flying Tigers 747 converted into a locomotive maintenance shop.
More fictional ones.
The Gimli Glider converted into part of the Klasky Csupo studios as part of
The Friturtoons Movie.