From Runway to Front Yard: The Woman Who Turned a Boeing 727 Into Her Dream Home
At first glance, it looked like a crash site frozen mid-moment — a massive Boeing 727 resting oddly on a quiet Mississippi property, its nose hanging dramatically over a small lake. Curious neighbors speculated endlessly.
Was it an abandoned military project? A bizarre art installation? Something secret the public wasn’t supposed to know about? The truth turned out to be stranger, warmer, and far more imaginative than anyone expected — it was someone’s home.
Long before “tiny houses” and converted buses became a global trend, Jo Ann Ussery had already taken the concept of alternative living to new heights — literally. She bought a retired Boeing 727 and transformed it into a fully functional, luxurious residence.
How the Idea Took Flight
In 1993, disaster struck. Ussery’s house in Benoit, Mississippi, was destroyed. Recently widowed, she faced the daunting challenge of finding a safe and affordable place to live for herself and her two children. She considered buying a mobile home, but the large models she needed were well outside her budget.
Then her brother-in-law, Bob — an air traffic controller — made a suggestion that sounded more like a joke than a plan: Why not live in an airplane?
Curious, Ussery went to see a decommissioned Boeing 727 that was about to be scrapped. Standing inside the empty fuselage, she was instantly captivated. The price sealed the deal — just $2,000, transportation included. Inspired by Donald Trump’s own private jet, she christened her new home “Little Trump” and began an ambitious renovation.
The Transformation
Over the course of the project, Ussery spent less than $30,000 (about $60,000 today) to make the 138-foot-long aircraft livable. First came the logistics: she parked it with the nose over the lake for a dramatic view and set the tail in concrete to keep it stable.
She stripped the cabin bare, installed insulation and air conditioning, replaced the floors, and kept select original features — including one aircraft lavatory and the overhead luggage bins — as a nod to its past life in the skies.
Inside “Little Trump”
The finished plane-home boasted three bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a laundry room complete with washer, dryer, and oven. The most spectacular feature was the cockpit, which Ussery transformed into a master bathroom with a soaking tub overlooking the water — making it feel as if she were bathing mid-flight.
Even more impressive? Ussery handled the entire renovation herself. She lived in the home from 1995 until 1999, when she decided to turn it into a museum. Sadly, during a move to a new location, the jet fell from its supports and was destroyed.
A Legacy That Still Inspires
Though the physical plane is gone, photographs of “Little Trump” continue to inspire those who dream of living beyond the ordinary. Jo Ann Ussery’s creation wasn’t just a clever housing solution — it was a statement about resilience, resourcefulness, and the courage to embrace unconventional ideas.
What looked to neighbors like a strange relic from the sky turned out to be one woman’s soaring testament to creativity. It’s proof that sometimes, the most extraordinary homes are born from the most unexpected dreams.