Designers are putting salvaged aircraft to fun and innovative home use.
While sleeping comfortably on an actual flight can be challenging, hoteliers offer gracious accommodations on grounded, converted models. At Costa Rica’s Hotel Costa Verde, for example, a retired 1965 Boeing 727, soaring 50’ high, offers unobstructed views of the rainforest and ocean. “Executive Suite 727”, accessible by spiral stairs, is an air-conditioned two-bedroom suite that sleeps six and features Java teak paneling, a kitchenette, and a large deck.
If a jumbo jet is too massive for your party, the Winvian Resort’s "Helicopter Cottage" offers a cozier respite. Outfitted with a swanky bar and entertainment center, the restored 1968 Sikorsky Sea King Pelican HH37 sits inside a hangar-like space.
Tom Bennington, a former Eastern Airlines pilot, is converting Boeing planes into homes through his Tennessee-based company, Max Power (named for the power setting on takeoff). A 100’ x 12’ flying machine can be retrofitted to accommodate two bedrooms and two baths, and the wings can be turned into outdoor decks.
“Our common bond is that we all have the sky,” says Oscar Garcia, co-owner of Flight Studio Design gallery and store in Miami’s Wynwood District. He and wife Yvette, frequent flyers who happened to meet on a flight, curate a collection of aviation-inspired pieces, including rows of airplane seating, beverage carts, paintings, and sculptures.
Though Moto Art co-owner/designer Dave Hall would rather be “one of the guys in the backseat with a cocktail... instead of flying the plane,” his passion for dismantling graveyard planes and transforming them into limited-edition functional sculpture is completely proactive. While desks and conference tables are the ten-year-old company's biggest sellers (clients include Red Bull and GoDaddy), the fuselage partitions for home, office, or retail shop make great space.
Did you know that airlines must replace fire-retardant seat covers after just nine washings? Matt Mahler, a former engineer and eco-minded entrepreneur, quickly learned about sturdy aircraft upholstery and leather after a budget travel magazine article inspired him to start making carryalls out of reclaimed fabrics. His Raleigh, North Carolina-based company, Tierra Ideas, donates 10% of sales to the Nature Conservancy.