Image via Complex Original
Flying is not the luxurious experience it used to be. The food is mediocre at best, nonexistent at worst. There's barely any legroom, and you inevitably sit next to a screaming child. But that doesn't mean airplanes have lost all their romantic appeal.
These aviation fanatics have stripped out the squashed seats and distasteful carpeting to convert former planes into restaurants, hotels, cafes, and even, in one case, a boat. Check out these 20 Awesome Converted Planes you would never mind boarding.
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Project Freedom
Location: Brookshire, Texas
Project Freedom was thought out and built by airplane enthusiast Joe Axline. It includes two separate planes, a MD-80 and a DC-9-41 without their wings, resting next to each other. The MD-80, which Axline named Freedom, provides rooms for friends and family, including a master bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen. The DC-9-41, called Spirit, includes a theater, music room, arts and crafts room, bedrooms, a bathroom, and also a kitchen. Axline has been living in one of the planes from Project Freedom for the last two years.
Boeing 747 Restaurant
Location: Suwon, Korea
This Boeing 747 plane-turned-restaurant was the second Boeing 747 ever made and the first to be flown commercially. Although the plane at one point served diners looking for an eclectic dinner experience, it now sits abandoned in front of several apartment buildings. You can still see the remainder of its multi-use history inside.
The Plane Motel
Location: New Zealand
One of the last allied 1950 Bristol Freighter planes out of Vietnam has been placed in New Zealand and turned into a two-unit motel. Guests have the option to sleep in the plane's tail section or, for a little extra cash, in the cockpit.
Boeing 727 House
Location: Benoit, Miss.
Joanne Ussary shelled out $30,000 to turn this Boeing 727 into her home. $24,000 out of that $30,000 went to renovating the inside, which includes a personal Jacuzzi in the cockpit. Also, the stairs to the front door use a garage door remote to bring them down.
Toshikazu Tsukii's Guesthouse
Location: Oro Valley, Ariz.
Toshikazu Tsukii used four aircrafts, a Boeing 737, 727, and two 707s, to create his two-story guesthouse located behind his humble abode. He also used the fuselage of a Boeing 747 jumbo jet to act as a building for an indoor pool. Tsukii built the guesthouse in order to accomplish his three life goals: to be an aviator, engineer, and architect. Since he was already an engineer, he decided to design and build (that's the architect part) an airplane home (that's surprisingly not the aviator part). Before he became an engineer, Tsukii was an air cadet for the Japan National Defense Academy before moving to the U.S. He currently holds licenses as a commercial pilot and flight instructor.
DC6 Diner
Location: Coventry Airport, England
Need help on a plane? Just click the Call Button above the seat to get the flight attendant's attention. The same concept goes for the DC6 Diner, a renovated Douglas DC-6 plane. The only difference is you're not 30,000 feet up in the air. Instead of peanuts and bland cookies, this airplane serves lasagna, steak, chicken, and fish.
Jumbo Hostel and Bar
Location: Stockholm Arlanda International Airport, Sweden
Jumbo Stay at the Stockholm Arlanda International Airport in Sweden is the one plane there that won't be taking off. The Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet (yes, the name fits the size) has been transformed into a 24/7 hostel. The hostel can accommodate 76 passengers with employees dressed like flight attendants to serve your every need. Just a few minutes away, the hostel is a short walk or free shuttle ride away from the actual airport. The Jumbo Jet also has a modern bar where you can grab a drink in first class style.
Kindergarten Class
Location: Rustavi, Georgia
If given the choice to take kindergarten classes in a life-size airplane versus an ordinary four-walled classroom, what kid wouldn't go for the plane? For these 5-year-olds, their imaginations are off the charts due to the Headmaster Gari Chapidze's choice to buy and transform an unused Yakovlev 42 plane into a kindergarten classroom.
The Cosmic Muffin
Location: Fort Lauderdale
The Cosmic Muffin is exactly what it looks like—a plane that traded its wings in order to set sail on water. Dave Drimmer took a Boeing B-307 and turned it into the iconic "plane-boat" after it was deemed un-flyable in 1969.
Wing House
Location: Malibu
David Hertz Architects renovated this modern house after creating the Wing House project. The house was built using old parts of a Boeing 747 airplane. The wings were used to form the roofs of the houses, while other parts of the plane act as the inside of the home. The houses are scattered throughout hills and mountains overlooking Malibu, offering sweeping views just like the ones from the cockpit.
C-47 House
Location: Chile
In 1974 this C-47 crashed in Chile during a distribution task, and although the fuselage couldn't be found right away, it was discovered 24 years later by one of the passengers who was in the crash. He renovated the plane and even included a chimney.
The Cookie Time Cafe
Location: Mangaweka, New Zealand
The Cookie Time Cafe is New Zealand's number one chocolate chip cookie manufacturer, so it only makes sense that they choose one of the most significant transport aircrafts to house one of their cafes. The Douglas DC-3 was invaluable in World War II, and Cookie Time renovated one to create an off the beat cafe.
Airplane Suite
Location: Teuge, Netherlands
With a history of flying to Cuba, China, and even Vietnam, this Ilyushin II-18 has been transformed into a perfect romantic getaway for two. The Airplane Suite found in Teuge, Netherlands was renovated to make room for relaxation essentials, including a Jacuzzi, shower, sauna, mini bar, and three flat screen TVs. You can book your stay at this unique vacation spot on Airbnb.
Home in the Woods
Location: Portland, Ore.
Skip the terminals, check-ins, and baggage claims. Since 1999, Bruce Campbell has been living in a Boeing 727 jet for six months out of the year. Campbell spent over $200,000 to restore the aircraft. The furbished vehicle is complete with a sink, futon, and washing machine.
Air Lekkerbek Bar & Restaurant
Location: Philipsburg, St. Maarten
Love Heineken? Make sure to come to St. Maarten'sAir Lekkerbek Bar & Restaurant to drink a round. The Japanese-made former aircraft has been stripped down and redecorated to look like Heineken's biggest fan, and it actually serves beer, too.
McDonald's
Location: Taupo, New Zealand
If you're the type of person who refuses to step inside a McDonald's, this New Zealand location might change your mind. One of the quaintest fast food restaurants on the planet, the decommissioned DC-3 offers the usual Chicken McNuggets and Big Macs. Don't forget the fries.
El Avion Restaurant
Location: Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
What was once a sister plane of the C-123 shot down during the Iran-Contra Affair, the Fairchild C-123 is now El Avion Restaurant, a restaurant, bar, and coffee shop. This Cold War relic can be found in Costa Rica right on the edge of the scenic ocean view. Enjoy a few drinks inside the main body of a real retired aircraft, gorge down some delectable foods underneath the wings, and snap a picture from the cockpit.
The Airplane Restaurant
Location: Colorado Springs, Colo.
Sitting adjacent to the Radisson Hotel, the former Boeing KC-97 tanker has been renovated to accommodate 275 hungry travelers. The Airplane Restaurant, found in Colorado Springs, not only offers great food for both lunch and dinner, but also provides customers a thorough aviation history with heaps of rich memorabilia and pictures.
La Tante DC10 Restaurant
Location: Accra, Ghana
This airplane-turned-restaurant can serve up to 118 people and is found in the capital of Ghana, making it a go-to spot for locals, many of whom have never stepped foot in an actual plane. After Ghana Airways went bankrupt in 2005, the plane was left impounded at London's Heathrow, but its now back in its hometown. The restaurant has waitresses dressed as flight attendants and serves traditional West African and Ghanaian foods.
727 Fuselage Home
Location: Manuel, Antonio, Costa Rica
Costa Verde took a vintage 1965 Boeing 727 airplane and transformed it into one of the most exclusive hotel suites in all of Costa Rica. The airplane rests on the edge of the jungle where the views of the ocean and the National Park of Costa Verde can be seen on either side. The 727 Fuselage Home also includes two bedrooms—each with their own bath—a flat screen TV, a private entrance up a river rock, and a spiral staircase.