"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...
I was thinking today, first about independent truck drivers, then about
those
people who sell (almost) all they own and buy a huge RV. In the case of
truck
drivers, they often have expensive, fancy rigs complete with bed,
television,
and other amenities that make their trucks a kind of home away from
home--or
perhaps even their primary domicile, if they really enjoy driving around
the
country. In the case of the RV owners, they give up a fixed residence and
live directly in the comfort of their RVs, as they roll around the nation,
constantly visiting new places.

Then I thought to myself: Why can't an airplane be used the same way?
Suppose
you sold your house and various other goods, and bought yourself a really
nice
aircraft. Suppose you outfitted it with RV-style amenities (as space
permits), such as a bed, TV, tiny stove or microwave, refrigerator, PC,
and so
on. In theory, with the right kind of aircraft (obviously something
larger
than a Piper Cub, but it need not necessarily be a Boeing Business Jet),
you
could live out of it, flying periodically from place to place and visiting
the
country from above (rather than from the highway). You could sleep over
at an
airport right in your aircraft, then start out the next day for a new
destination.

Has anyone done this? Is it a practical project, or are there things that
make it impractical or impossible to use an aircraft as a camper or RV?

I know that if you have a really large aircraft, such as your own 737 or
747,
you obviously can live out of it, if you want, but I wonder if this would
also
be true for smaller aircraft--the kind many people might be able to afford
if
they were committed to using an aircraft as their domicile.

--

Just like most things in the world it has been done. I remember seeing one
of the old flying boats featured on a television program a few years ago. It
was purchased by singer Jimmy Buffett, and converted to a island hopping RV.
It think it was a PBY. Very cool project and beats the heck out of a small
sailboat.

I could only guess the only reason you don't see more of it, is that most
people that have the budget to afford it, don't have the desire to travel
that sparsely. If you think one of the old inefficient RVs gets poor gas
mileage, compare it's operation cost to something like a DC3. Not to mention
the initial conversion cost and referb.