Jo Ann Ussery’s Extraordinary Home Adventure

The trend of using unconventional materials for building homes, such as buses, tiny houses, and shipping containers, has gained popularity in recent years. However, Jo Ann Ussery embarked on this unique housing trend long before it became fashionable.

In 1993, tragedy struck when her home in Benoit, Mississippi was destroyed, leaving her and her two children in need of a new place to live. Facing financial constraints, her initial thought was to buy a trailer as a solution. But an unconventional idea from her in-law, Bob, who was an air traffic controller, changed the course of her life – living on a plane.

Intrigued by the concept, Ussery found and purchased a disassembled Boeing 727 for just $2,000, including shipping. She affectionately named her new acquisition “Little Trump” after learning that Donald Trump owned a private Boeing 727 as well.

With determination and creativity, Ussery began the monumental task of transforming the plane into a unique and comfortable home. With a budget of less than $30,000 (equivalent to approximately $60,000 today), she embarked on a project that would demand significant time and financial investment.