This man built a dream home out of two passenger airplanes that only costs $200 a month — see inside

Kiera FieldsMar 8, 2023, 20:21 IST

The McDonnell Douglas MD-80 and McDonnell Douglas DC-9 fuselages that make up Joe Axline's house.Joe Axline

Joe Axline bought land in a private airport in Texas and two retired jets to create his dream home.
He renovated the 60-foot body of a McDonnell Douglas MD-80 jet into a three-bed home.

Joe Axline got the idea to turn an airplane into a house when, as a kid in the '70s, he watched a TV show starring Bill Bixby called "The Magician." The show's main character travels from city to city in a plane solving crimes.

"I thought that was pretty awesome," Axline told Insider.

Axline trained as a recreational pilot throughout his teens, achieving his instrument rating, an advanced aviation certificate, at 26. Shortly after that, he gave up flying to focus on his career in IT, marriage, and family life.

Twenty-three years later, in April 2011, Axline and his wife divorced. Axline told Insider he had about $250,000 in savings he was willing to spend on what he dubbed "Project Freedom."

Axline bought a plot of land from a privately owned airport called Sport Flyers in Brookshire, Texas, near where he was living.

Joe Axline

Axline bought a plane that was being used as a display in a Florida mall.

Joe Axline

The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 had a fully restored cockpit to reflect the plane's original 1970s interior.

Joe Axline

He purchased a 60-foot front fuselage of a McDonnell Douglas MD-80 from Arkansas in November 2011.

An American Airlines MD-80.Eliyahu Yosef Parypa/Shutterstock

Axline said he had to build steel foundations for his planes.

Joe Axline

Once the foundations were built, the planes could arrive.

Joe Axline

The MD-80 was delivered in December 2011.

Joe Axline

The MD-80, which was full of parts that needed to be removed, is the main structure Axline lives in.

Joe Axline

The interior of Axline's McDonnell Douglas MD-80 needed extensive work.

Joe Axline

Axline said he learned to do these renovations "on the fly" using YouTube videos and help from his brother, an electrical engineer.

Joe Axline

In January 2012, the DC-9 arrived and was installed next to the first plane.

Joe Axline

Axline had to install sewage and water systems, electrical wiring, LED lighting, and insulation in the MD-80.

Joe Axline

Axline stripped the carpeting and replaced it with vinyl flooring. He added insulation to keep the plane cool in the hot Texas summers.

Joe Axline

He added a wall in the back of the plane and built a deck and a life-sized chess set outside it.

Joe Axline

Axline has a bedroom plus two other beds for his children when they come to stay.

Joe Axline

He maintained some features of the plane's interior — like the shutters, windows, and some overhead bins.

Joe Axline

Axline also kept the plane's original sink and bathroom features.

Joe Axline

The bathroom has the original warning lights, though they're no longer operational.

Joe Axline

Axline said he loves his plane home because his living room, dining table, kitchen, and office space are all within a few feet of each other.

Joe Axline

He said that after moving into the plane, he discovered he didn't need a lot of space.

Joe Axline

Axline told Insider he's paid off all the costs of purchasing the planes and building them.

Joe Axline

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This man built a dream home out of two passenger airplanes that only costs $200 a month &mdash; see inside

Axline bought a plot of land from a privately owned airport called Sport Flyers in Brookshire, Texas, near where he was living.

Axline bought a plane that was being used as a display in a Florida mall.

The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 had a fully restored cockpit to reflect the plane's original 1970s interior.

He purchased a 60-foot front fuselage of a McDonnell Douglas MD-80 from Arkansas in November 2011.

Axline said he had to build steel foundations for his planes.

Once the foundations were built, the planes could arrive.

The MD-80 was delivered in December 2011.

The MD-80, which was full of parts that needed to be removed, is the main structure Axline lives in.

The interior of Axline's McDonnell Douglas MD-80 needed extensive work.

Axline said he learned to do these renovations "on the fly" using YouTube videos and help from his brother, an electrical engineer.

In January 2012, the DC-9 arrived and was installed next to the first plane.

Axline had to install sewage and water systems, electrical wiring, LED lighting, and insulation in the MD-80.

Axline stripped the carpeting and replaced it with vinyl flooring. He added insulation to keep the plane cool in the hot Texas summers.

He added a wall in the back of the plane and built a deck and a life-sized chess set outside it.

Axline has a bedroom plus two other beds for his children when they come to stay.

He maintained some features of the plane's interior — like the shutters, windows, and some overhead bins.

Axline also kept the plane's original sink and bathroom features.

The bathroom has the original warning lights, though they're no longer operational.

Axline said he loves his plane home because his living room, dining table, kitchen, and office space are all within a few feet of each other.

He said that after moving into the plane, he discovered he didn't need a lot of space.

Axline told Insider he's paid off all the costs of purchasing the planes and building them.

This man built a dream home out of two passenger airplanes that only costs $200 a month — see inside