General Status and Commentary

The pace of progress on my 727 home was much more rapid in 2016 and thus far in 2017. Please refer to "Images and Progress Notes" on my home page for the latest images, movies, and detailed information. However Airplane Home v2.0 remains a much higher priority, so whenever progress with that project is possible it will take precedence.

The Spiritual Reality.

Substantially revised 9 March 2016

The following is just a taste of the tumultuous events which affected my Boeing 727 home project indirectly over the last several years. It's quite superficial in both scope and detail, but many people will understand the story anyway because they've endured similar experiences.

Aspirations of the heart are often expressed by pushing the frontiers of human skill or achievement in some field. But we require a spiritual foundation for support as we pursue and, if lucky, savor success with any ambition. If that foundation crumbles aspirational progress stalls or even regresses. And previous successes can be profoundly tainted or even rendered spiritually pointless. Social fabric failures and heartbreaking personal losses can stall or even destroy all our hopes and dreams.

So we all strive to sustain each other with healthy connections of shared authentic support, camaraderie, friendship, and love - we seek and nurture relationships which nourish us as we pursue our other dreams in our very short lives. And usually we reasonably succeed.

But those relationships must be rooted in honesty, respect, and goodwill. When they turn dishonest, disrespectful, or intentionally hostile the social fabric which binds us breaks down. Sometimes very quickly. And sometimes beyond repair.

When spiritual foundations degenerate into hostilities we must accept and learn to live with the scars and deep injuries left behind. And sometimes we must simply start over, sacrificing everything we built where we lived, worked, played, and loved.

It's a very common human experience. But it's an enormous challenge nonetheless. And it pushes our spirits to their limits.

Some cultures and regions seem to understand and respect these realities more sincerely and effectively than others. In times of severe personal stress such cultures, even though alien in many ways, can become vital ports of refuge. Or even new homes. Those of us who are lucky enough to be accepted by warm and caring hearts in a time of need owe a great and lifelong debt. As does, in substantial measure, the entire world, since these places provide part of the bedrock of civility the world requires to avoid creeping degeneration.

I retain numerous trusted and deeply rewarding friendships and affections in Oregon and America generally. But the bulk of my heart now belongs to Miyazaki, where I feel a greater sense of belonging, personal joy, and hope for the future. (And, independent of the spiritual melodrama, where my life was literally saved by a large superbly skilled team of impeccably pure hearts under sterilized white gowns.)

It's a remarkable irony that I relied so heavily upon the gleaming clippers in the sky to sustain me spiritually as I overcame personal challenges so I could resume my effort to demonstrate that these great ships deserve two vital lives rather than just one - their first service life returned to center stage in my life, ensuring my survival so I could resume my dream to help illustrate that they rightly and richly deserve a long and glorious second service life. As did the true hearts I love, the great, sleek, gleaming clippers above sustained me through troubled times so that I might return the favor by giving them additional hope for a much longer and more noble life too.

Iki tete yo katta!

Bruce Campbell

The Practical Consequences.

Updated 9 March 2016

I've spent very roughly 40% of my time in Nippon since 2009, leaving my 727 in the hands of trusted friends. I savor the company of loved ones and cherished friends there and enjoy very charming and rewarding recreation, including lots of exhilarating tennis and mini-volleyball. But there's more on my agenda too...

I'm attempting to establish enough traction to execute a Boeing 747-400 home near Miyazaki City. The hurdles are enormous even though some logistics for siting an intact wide body aircraft on private land look favorable. I must forge at least two key alliances: A partnership with an airline firm in which their normal proud livery will remain in full public view for as long as they desire the notoriety in exchange for favorable terms of acquisition of one of their retiring 747-400 aircraft. And partnerships with government officials and civic leaders to provide a tangible long term connection between the aircraft and the regional community, perhaps including regular group tours or similar community and visitor programs, Concert on a Wing events, and other community support, again in exchange for favorable terms of acquisition and flexible use of the property.

I will not allow any component salvage intrusion on the aircraft, except perhaps disciplined service procedure removal of the engines - I will never repeat the tragic mistake which so terribly damaged my 727 project. Instead I seek to share expenses by sharing rewards. In a land where I already owe a great deal of gratitude.

I'm lucky to have skilled and energetic private team support for the project at this time. And some momentum. But I must find success in forging the partnerships described above if the project is to proceed.

When in America I continue restoration and refinement of my 727 home. Money is a less constraining matter lately, but I'll still perform a lot of work personally and there'll be other pace limitations. So patience will remain a necessary factor. But at least some progress should become visible unless Airplane Home v2.0 traction builds to an all consuming level. As I hope...

Either way, I hope I can find success. Because these great ships, gleaming pinnacle class symbols of mankind's achievements, richly deserve a very long and noble second life. A compelling demonstration of that reality is desperately needed to help humanity expose a terrible blind spot caused by a failure to explore its way out of a deep hole of profoundly wasteful provincial thinking.

So that these great ships can serve truly full lives. Standing tall and proud. Almost forever...

Bruce Campbell

Copyright 5 June 2012, Howard Bruce Campbell, AirplaneHome.com.