As children, we always imagine the homes we want as adults. From a big soaring castle to a house in the clouds, we dreamt of places only our imaginations could create. But for one 15-year-old, his dream wasn’t to live in the sky, but to find a home that flew amongst the clouds. And beginning in the early 70s, Bruce Campbell of Portland, Ore., was working to make those dreams come true.

Bruce Campbell stands on the wing of his airplane home. Photo by CNBC

Now 73, the electrical engineer, said he at first had no idea of how to buy a plane for a home. As a teenager he had seen a show about airplane boneyards, a place where planes went when they could no longer fly in the air. From that moment on, Campbell said, his goal was to make a home for himself out of an airplane.

First up, purchasing 10 acres of land for more than $25,000. After working for more than 30 years, Campbell knew it was time for him to find a way to fulfill his lifelong dream. So in 1999, Campbell used a salvage company to help him locate an airplane. His advice to anyone looking to follow in his footsteps: skip the salvage company. “That was a Whopper class mistake. I’ll never do that again. Salvage companies are wreckers,” Campbell said.

I highly recommend just buying a jetliner completely intact and completely functional, except maybe the removal of the engines.”

But despite all the headaches, the company not only found Campbell a home, they found him a piece of American history hiding in Greece. The plane met all of the qualifications Campbell had been searching for. It was a Boeing 727 and weighed in at 70,000 pounds.

Jackie and Aristotle Onassis. Wire Photo

But the best part, the one thing that sold him on the plane —  it had been owned by former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ and her husband, Aristotle Onassis, up until his death. It sealed the deal for Campbell. 

Bruce Campbell stands by his workbench in his airplane home. Photo by CNBC

After paying $100,000, the plane was brought to Oregon. It was readied at a cost of $20,000, by workers removing the engines and anything that would make the plane flyable. It was then towed through Campbell’s town of Hillsboro to his property. “When you live in a structure like this, you feel a little more fulfilled with your life,” he said.

And if you’re an engineer, scientist, or anyone who appreciates the elegance and beauty of aerospace technology, it’s just a happier place to live.”

To make the plane more like a home, Campbell added a shower, sink, washing machine and a fridge. In a nod to the airplane’s history, he used a food service cart for his pantry. Campbell chose a microwave and toaster oven for his appliances, saying, “I’m a nerd. I don’t cook, so it’s a minimal kitchen area.”

He uses a futon sofa for his bed, and has a workbench to use for projects. His total cost monthly — $370. That includes property taxes ($220) and electricity, which varies. Campbell uses his down time to restore old computers, as well as offering tours of his unique home.

“I have no regrets about pursuing this vision. In my experience with my guests, I believe that humanity will embrace this vision wholeheartedly in enough proportion that we can utilize every jetliner which retires from service,” he said.

He also spends time living in Japan, as well, and said he hopes to have an airplane home there one day. “It’s intended to put a home which I love in a land I love and with people I love,” he said, laughing. “If I can simply regain my youth, everything will be fine.”