Johnny Palmer has bought a second Boeing 727 for his Bristol industrial estate.<\/p>\n
The 60-year-old aircraft will become the centrepiece of Ground Force, the multi-storey development under construction at Skyline Park off Bonville Road, Brislington.<\/p>\n
Once lifted into place, the fuselage will sit on stacked shipping containers roughly three storeys above the estate \u2014 much higher than his first plane on the same site.<\/p>\n
Palmer, owner of Skyline Park, said: “The first plane was a bit of fun for me, my family and friends. Two years of parties, sleepovers and film shoots. Ground Force is the grown-up version \u2014 bigger, taller and it has to earn its keep.”<\/p>\n
He added: “Everything in this was heading for the skip. Containers at the end of their shipping life, steel out of old retail sheds and a 60-year-old jet that was being taken apart for scrap. We’re giving all of it a second life.”<\/p>\n
In February 2021 Palmer brought his first Boeing 727 down the M5 from Cotswold Airport at Kemble on a low loader with police escort. The six-hour trip stopped traffic and the jet was craned onto containers painted to look like clouds.<\/p>\n
It has since been used as an office, film set, party venue and Airbnb.<\/p>\n
The newly acquired aircraft, registered 2-MMTT, first flew in July 1966 for an Australian domestic airline. It later spent years as a corporate jet for American oil company Occidental Petroleum before its last flight to Kemble in December 2018, where it has been stored by Air Salvage International.<\/p>\n
Palmer, who was born in Tasmania, said: “This one was built in 1966 for an Australian airline. I was born in Tasmania. I reckon that’s fate.”<\/p>\n
Bristol City Council granted planning permission for Ground Force in October 2025 after 77 letters of support and 15 objections. Work started this spring and the first floor of containers went up over the summer.<\/p>\n
Ground Force will include a public cafe on the ground floor with free phone and e-bike charging, a drinking water fountain and a public toilet. Meeting and office space will occupy the first floor, with the Aether Sauna Sky Spa and a rebuilt Boeing 747 first-class cabin on the second floor. The 727 will sit on top for events, filming and private hire.<\/p>\n
Palmer says over 90% of the above-ground build is waste or second-life material.<\/p>\n
Not everyone supported the plans. During planning, objectors called the scheme a vanity project and a publicity stunt, and some neighbours raised noise concerns.<\/p>\n
Palmer said: “Most of the neighbours are lovely and most people back it \u2014 77 letters of support says that. Anyone who isn’t sure is welcome to come up, have a look and have a coffee.”<\/p>\n
He describes Ground Force as Bristol’s second most iconic structure, after the Clifton Suspension Bridge.<\/p>\n
The aircraft will travel from Kemble to Brislington by road.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sixty-year-old jet to sit three storeys up on Bristol industrial estate<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":48790,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,6,9],"coauthors":[160],"class_list":["post-48787","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news","category-lifestyle","category-property","tag-bristol-and-bath","tag-featured-story"],"yoast_head":"\n