

She loves her house ... and it shows December 27, 1996

Web posted at: 6:00 a.m. EST BENOIT, MIssissippi (CNN) -- The 127-foot Boeing 727 is designed to seat nearly 200. Joanne Ussery's seats far fewer, but the accommodations are much more comfortable -- plenty of legroom, home cooking, peace and quiet, a hot tub in the cockpit, and the "fasten seat belts" light is never lit. But there's only one destination, the small town of Benoit, Mississippi, population 641. And don't bother ringing for the flight attendant; it's strictly self-service. Ussery, a hairdresser, was looking for a new mobile home to put next to the lake when her brother-in-law, an air traffic controller, had an unorthodox suggestion. She paid $2,000 for the 727 fuselage, $4,000 for a house-moving company to move it to her lot, and six months and $25,000 to renovate it. The resulting house has some unusual features, and is built to last; Ussery lost her last house to a fire. (298K/13 sec. AIFF or WAV sound) At 52, Ussery says she has retired from plane-remodeling -- unless she can get her hands on a nice split-level...er, 747.

Tell us what you think!



You said it...

© 1996 Cable News Network, Inc.

All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you.