A Boeing 727 plane is to be transported from Cotswold Airport to Bristol by road at the end of the month.
The decommissioned aircraft is owned by entrepreneur and property investor Johnny Palmer, who is planning to use the jet as an office and events space for his media company Pytch.
The plane, which was built in 1968 and has a 40 metre-long aircraft fuselage, was originally due to travel to Bristol on Sunday, January 31, but was grounded by mud after bad weather.
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It will now be transported by road down the M5, M4, and A4174 before landing at Pytch’s HQ in Brislington on February 27.
The jet - dubbed ‘Pytch Air’ by Mr Palmer - will become the centrepiece of the company’s business estate on Bonville Road, while its fuselage will become a piece of artwork.
The transport of the £40m aircraft will involve a police escort and road disruption, Mr Palmer said.
Transport plan for the Boeing 727
- Depart: 0900 Saturday, February 27, from Cotswold Airport along route
- Arrive: evening of Saturday, February 27, at Pytch HQ on 21 Bonville Road, BS4 5QH
- Crane operations to get 'Pytch Air' into position at 10am on Sunday, February 28
“Our virtual events studios have been getting busy since Covid and we need more space at Pytch,” explained Mr Palmer.
“So rather than do resource and carbon intensive construction we decided to re-purpose the icon of unsustainable hyper-consumption - the airliner private jet. And also have a lot of fun along the way.”
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Mr Palmer has been planning the scheme since 2018 after hearing there was a disused aircraft at Cotswold Airport. He finally acquired the aircraft under his property investment company in mid-2020 and secured consent from Bristol City Council for his project in October.
"It was apparent that with a little vision this aircraft could be a useful addition to Pytch HQ and become an amazing space for creativity, inspiration, communication, fine dining and fun," he said.
What is ‘Pytch Air’?
'Pytch Air' is a Boeing 727 airliner, which is similar in size to a 737 (flown by Ryanair) or an Airbus A320 (flown by Easyjet). But it is distinctive due to its rear-mounted tri-jet engine configuration.
The plane was originally a passenger aircraft with Japan Airlines in the 1960s, but in the 1970s it was converted into a VIP private jet.
The aircraft was operating until 2012 when it made its final flight to Filton Airfield, in Bristol - the current home of Concorde.
From there, it was transported by road to Cotswold Airport to be salvaged and for some elements to be repurposed.
The fuselage, stub wings and landing gears were then re-attached after having been removed for transport.
What do you think of using a Boeing 727 as an office and events space? Share your thoughts in the comments below