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Plus, we're giving you a hint, as a treat.
Bridgeliner

✈️ Weird Wednesday: Fly me to the woods

Plus, we’re giving you a little hint, as a treat.

By Cassie Ruud

It’s Wednesday. 

And you know what that means — it’s time for all of us to get a little weirder (but reasonably so). 

Each week, we celebrate elements of Portland’s wonderful weirdness in collaboration with Weird Portland United. We’ve featured a veritable truck-load of quirky, local characters, art, and so much more.

Did you miss a story from this series? Don’t worry, you can find our archive of Weird Wednesdays right here

For today’s Weird Wednesday, we’re going to need equal parts hiking boots and aviator goggles. Because somewhere around Hillsboro, deep in the woods, dappled by tree limbs, is a retired Boeing 747 jetliner that has been converted into a private residence (which is why we’re asking permission to come and visit beforehand; manners, got it?). Inside lives an incredible Portland weirdo by the name of Bruce Campbell (Not THAT Bruce Campbell though), with a story of how he converted this ship of the skies into the perfect home.

You can now unfasten your seatbelts and move about the cabin — let’s dive in. 

✈️ Weird Wednesday: Fly me to the woods

Ever wanted to party on the wing of a retired jetliner? (📸: Bridgeliner illustration)

Somewhere south of Hillsboro you’ll find a Boeing 747 deep in the woods. But it’s not just any plane — this aircraft once transported the body of Aristotle Onassis back to Greece for his burial, with the one and only Jackie Onassis and family flying in the main cabin.

Once it was retired for airline use, the jetliner was purchased in 1999 by Bruce Campbell for $100,000 and then converted into a home. The whole thing has water, electricity, and sewage plus 1,066 square-feet of interior space. Campbell is part of an organization called Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association (AFRA), which is responsible for converting retired aircraft into homes or other creative spaces. 

“When properly executed, the remarkable appeal of a retired jetliner as a home springs from the magnificent technology and beauty of the sculptured structure itself,” Campbell told Atlas Obscura. “Jetliners are masterful works of aerospace science, and their superlative engineering grace is unmatched by any other structures people can live within. They’re incredibly strong, durable, and long lived. And they easily withstand any earthquake or storm. Their interior is easy to keep immaculately clean because they are sealed pressure canisters, so dust and insects can’t intrude from the outside. And they’re highly resistant to intruders. So the human hearts inside feel wonderfully safe and comfortable. And their interiors are exceptionally modern and refined, and provide a wealth of unique amenities, superb lighting and climate control, and overwhelming storage space. Once the rows of seats are removed, their profound appeal as a family living environment becomes immediately obvious.”

Campbell lives pretty modestly inside the old 747 — he sits and sleeps on a Futon mattress and heats up his meals using a microwave and a toaster oven. He has also been known to throw concerts and parties on the wings of the plane (like this throwback with WPU president the Unipiper doing his thing during a midnight rave). 

When asked why he prefers living in the plane as opposed to a standard modern home, Campbell had this to say:

“The practical reasons: I don't mean to offend, but in my view, wood is a terrible building material. It biodegrades  — it's termite chow. And microbe (rot) chow. Or it's unintentional firewood. It just depends upon which happens first.  It's a relatively weak material which is secured with low tech fasteners using low tech techniques. And traditional rectangular designs are inferior structurally — they unreasonably sacrifice strength for boxy ergonomics (geodesic structures solve this problem at least). Rectangular stick homes can't withstand severe winds nor severe earthquakes, they frequently kill people when they burst into flames, they're rather easily entered by burglars, they're leaky, and they degrade rapidly.”

If you’re interested in stopping by to see Campbell’s home for yourself, he recommends you get in contact with him beforehand and he’d be happy to talk shop about tours and upcoming events. 

Thank you to our Bridgeliner Unabridged members. Stories like these are made possible with your membership and support.

🤔 OK here’s a hint 

📸: Bridgeliner illustration

Yesterday we asked you which Portland bridge was built the same year that film star Rupert Valentino died. 

And today, we’re giving you a hint. So here goes.

Hint: This Portland bridge is known for its Strauss-type double-leaf bascule style, making it stand out among the rest of our local bridges. 

Sound familiar? Think you know which bridge we’re talking about? Hit reply to this email and send in your best guesses. 

And guess what? Now through Aug. 31 we’re running a special 50% discount on membership. What’s that mean? You can get all of the extra fun of being a member for just $40 a year (that’s literally $4 a month). Wanna join the fun? You can sign up here

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📰 Meet our staff at Bridgeliner

Editor & Writer 

Cassie Ruud

cassie@bridgeliner.com

Sales & Advertising

Ben Chaffee

benjamin@whereby.us

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Today

🍷 Hot Girl Summer might be ending, but the fun at Stem Wine Bar is just beginning with live music and tarot readings (Boise)

😂 Crack up with some of PDX’s funniest jokesters at Botanist (Pearl)

Tomorrow

♍ Learn the secrets of the stars with this astrology workshop at the Raven’s Wing (Online)

🍷 Hot Girl Summer might be ending, but the fun at Stem Wine Bar is just beginning with live music and tarot readings (Boise)

⚔️ If you’re suggesting that coconuts migrate then you’ll enjoy this outdoor movie night of Monty Python & the Holy Grail at Pix Patisserie (Buckman)

Friday

🍷 Hot Girl Summer might be ending, but the fun at Stem Wine Bar is just beginning with live music and tarot readings (Boise)

Saturday

💖 Raise money for a good cause (and see some giraffes) with the Oregon Zoo’s Easterseals Walk, Run & Roll Benefit (Oregon Zoo)

🛍️ Shop the Willamette FLEA for a delightful adventure supporting local micro-businesses (Parkrose)

Sunday

🎉 Join the Rose City Rollers down for some great tunes, great times and—of course—roller skating (SE Waterfront)

🙋 One more thing … 

Thank you for reading all the way to the end. 

I want to give a huge shout out to two Bridgeliner readers who wrote in with local nonprofits that are directly assisting Afghan refugees coming to the United States.

Mark H. wants you to know about Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO), and the great work they’re doing here in the Portland area. IRCO supports immigrants, refugees and mainstream community members to become self-sufficient by offering programming, outreach and education that foster understanding, compassion and communication between Oregon's established communities and newest arrivals.

Seth K. told us about Refugee Care Collective, which provides in-home English tutoring, family mentorship, and youth mentorship programs to incoming refugees in Portland. They also provide families with “restart” kits: plastic tubs filled with essential household items; eight tubs  for each area of the home. The kits are distributed to local resettlement agencies, service providers, and community members who give them directly to newly arrived families and those in need.

Thank you to everyone who wrote in and keep the suggestions coming! 

That’s all for today, see you back here tomorrow.

Virtual hugs,

Cassie at Bridgeliner

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