- Jon Kotwicki, a flight instructor bought an airplane and turned it into a house for his students.
- After buying the airplane he had to decide how he would get the 117-foot-wide aircraft home.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jon Kotwicki, a 32-year-old flight instructor in Alaska, who turned an old cargo plane into an Airbnb. It has been edited for length and clarity.
About five years ago, I moved from Florida to Alaska. At the time, I had this idea of starting a flight school where my students could go up in a small airplane and learn to fly. I had a big vision for it. I wanted to have a proper runway and cabins for them to live in, but I didn't want to stop there.
I started thinking, instead of cabins, what if my students could live in an airplane? I knew that would be much cooler. I also knew when my students weren't staying in it, it would be a great Airbnb. My airplane house idea was big, and overboard, but my ideas usually are. In 2022, I bought a Douglas DC-6 from 1956 which I now rent out on Airbnb.
Buying an airplane
Looking for an airplane to convert wasn't easy. Usually, old airplanes are sold off to scrap companies for recycling. They're then crushed into beer cans. I spent a good six months reaching out to these companies and calling everyone I knew before finally finding a plane available for purchase.
I ended up buying a 1956 Douglas DC-6. It was originally used for hauling cargo and fuel around Alaska, and to me, it felt like the perfect conversion. After I bought the plane the next challenge was getting it home.
Transporting an airplane that can't fly
Old airplanes are fairly cheap to buy. For reference, the plane I bought can sometimes be as low as $10,000 for parts and can go up to $250,000. Now, transporting an airplane can be expensive. Between buying and transporting the plane, it cost us just over $100,000.
I was then left with a 104-foot-long, and 117-foot-wide airplane to move. To move it, my girlfriend, buddy, and I went to Fairbanks, Alaska, where the plane was located and began to disassemble it. We spent four days taking the plane apart and it took us a good 16 hours each day.
We unbolted the plane, and cut off the wings to make it smaller for transport. Then we used cranes and forklifts to place the plane parts onto separate trailers. One of our trailers was 93 feet long. We drove the trailers 350 miles to our property in Wasilla, Alaska. Then it was time to place it back together.
Turning an airplane into a house
Before I started the conversion process, I thought it would be easy because the plane already had walls and was completely enclosed like a house. But it wasn't easy. It took me five months to finish the conversion.
Unlike a normal house, we were building in an aluminum tin can. This meant we needed to find different ways to insulate the plane, and manage the moisture and the airflow. We also needed to heat the plane. Here in Alaska, we don't have natural gas. Instead, we usually heat our homes with wood or oil. In our airplane, we have an oil boiler in the tail area.
As for plumbing, the plane has its own water supply and septic system. When building the bathroom, we didn't want our space to have an average airplane sink, where you get only a trickle of water. Instead, we made sure the plane got its own pressure tank allowing our guests to take normal showers.
During the conversion, there was a lot of trial and error, throwing away wasted materials, and rebuilding. It was a long hard process, but our plane came out better than I ever could have imagined.
The airplane sleeps six people
The plane has a master bedroom with a king size bed and a guest room with a queen size bed. We also have a sofa bed in the living room, allowing the plane to sleep six people. Since it's an airplane, the rooms are narrow and they measure about nine feet wide. In comparison, an average room might be about 12 feet. There's also a bathroom with a fully tiled shower and a toilet. As for the kitchen, it comes with a regular sink, refrigerator, freezer, a little toaster oven, microwave, and all of your basics for cooking.
I now rent out the airplane house on Airbnb
I originally made the airplane house for my students, but I also started renting it out on Airbnb in September starting at $200 a night. It can go up to $700 a night based on the season. Students travel from all over the country for their training with us and they need accommodation, so we provide it here on site. The accommodation is included in their training package. Either way, when people pull up to the Airplane house for the first time, I love seeing their reactions. They're always so blown away by it.
To get here, you first drive down one long runway. Then, as you come out from around the trees, you see the giant airplane house. My favorite reaction was when a couple brought their two kids. They were little girls, approximately ages four and six, and it was just the biggest surprise to them. They were so excited. They ran up and down the entire airplane, full sprint back and forth, from the cockpit to the master bedroom. To me, those reactions are the best part.
Moving forward, I'll soon be putting a hot tub on the wing tip. I'm waiting for spring to do that project. I figure no one will want to use it in the winter — especially since it gets 20 degrees below zero here. Once the hot tub is done, I know it will be a big attraction for those who rent from us. Finally, I am working on another airplane house too, that one will be a three bedroom, two bathroom and it will have the ability to sleep nine.
If you have a fun, unique home and would like to share your story, email Alyshia Hull at ahull@insider.com.
Correction: October 20, 2023 — An earlier version of this story misstated the city the plane was transported from. The plane was transported from Fairbanks, Alaska, not Fairhaven.