You Can Now Go Glamping Inside A Helicopter
There’s a breakfast nook in the cockpit. For real.
It’s no fun staying in a regular old hotel room when you can spend the night in an Afghani yurt, a 1920s sheep wagon or a grass-roofed hobbit hut. An experience like that does wonders for your spiritual energy — and your Instagram game. But if a Japanese caravan or vintage truck doesn’t give you sweet-enough dreams, feast your eyes on this:
Yep, that’s a military helicopter that’s been turned into a cozy sleep pod.
If you travel to Mains Farm in Stirling, Scotland, you’ll see the imposing sight: a 56-foot Royal Navy ZA127 Sea King helicopter, to be exact. Although it might appear ready for liftoff — especially when it’s lit up at night — the helicopter is decommissioned and now functions solely as a sanctuary travelers can rent.
Last year, a husband-and-wife duo named Martyn and Louise Steedman watched as the Sea Kings helicopter fleet made its final flyover. The newspapers said the aircrafts would be sold, and the couple didn’t want the whole fleet to be destroyed. So they decided to get their hands on one. They bought a Sea King for €7,000.
Tens of thousands of dollars later, they converted it into a place of luxury:
Step into the aircraft and you’ll be washed with natural light, courtesy of a sun dome and double glazed patio doors to open the space up. Maybe unexpectedly, the interior isn’t military chic. It’s clean and crisp, painted all white (with dabs of blue and red).
The owners donated the original sonar station to The Helicopter Museum in Somerset, England. In its absence is a shower and mini-kitchen.
The cockpit is the perfect place to grab a hard-earned bottle of rosé and enjoy panoramic views. The original dashboard, roof panel switches and foot pedals are still in place:
With two double pull-out beds and a single bed in the aircraft’s tail, the rental can comfortable sleep a family of five. One night runs a couple €150 ($193) and there’s an extra €10 ($13) for each kiddo tagging along. Book it here.
And before you even ask — yes, of course there’s WiFi.
