As a Christmas present to himself, a plane enthusiast bought a Boeing 737 on Facebook Marketplace for £4,000.
Missing its wings and cut down the middle, the plane will not be taking passengers anytime soon.
But for Dave Billings, he’s more concerned about getting the plane underground than back in the air.
Dave, who goes by Tornado Dave online, shared with his followers in December that he had purchased an old Boeing 737-500 with plans to turn it into an underground nuclear shelter.
Under his back garden, Dave, from Derbyshire, has already built a 35-foot ‘great escape’ tunnel, which can be entered through an old WWII well, as well as a shelter made from a shipping container.
Once the plane is buried underground, the two shelters will be connected by the plane door.
His unusual construction projects have earned him a loyal following online, including almost 270,000 followers on YouTube and 211,000 on TikTok.
In a TikTok video, which has nearly 310,000 views, Dave gave viewers a peek inside the severed 33-foot-long plane, which includes a toilet, kitchen area, seats and a life raft.
Dave Billings (Tornado Dave) is pictured inside his Boeing 737-500, which he bought for £4,000 on Facebook Marketplace
In a TikTok video, which has nearly 310k views, Dave gave viewers a view of the inside of the 33-foot-long plane, which includes a toilet, kitchen area, seats and a life raft
The plane was previously operated by Bmibaby, a low-cost airline which ceased operations in 2012. A Bmibaby Boeing 737-33R is pictured in 2011
According to Dave’s YouTube channel, the plane was made in 1994 and was operated by Bmibaby, a subsidiary of British Midland International.
He plans to preserve the original features, including the toilet.
To get the plane into his garden, it had to be hauled by an ex-army Foden crane truck and HIAB lorry and then loaded onto another lorry for transport.
To build the bunker, the plane will be covered in a layer of insulation and concrete.
While Dave’s ambitious plans have been praised by many of his followers, some commenters expressed concern for his neighbours – and the impact on selling his house in the future.
One TikTok user wrote: ‘Do the neighbours know you’re digging under their land?’
Another added: ‘Out of interest, when it comes to selling your house one day, would any of this cause difficulties?’
‘Will it fly again?’ asked one user.
While Dave’s ambitious plans have been praised by many of his followers, some commenters expressed concern for his neighbours – and the impact on selling his house in the future
Dave jokily replied: ‘Yes, one last time into the hole.’
Supporters of the project praised Dave for giving the plane a new lease of life.
One user wrote: ‘I was crew with Bmibaby back at the BHX base when it closed down in 2012 and I flew on this aircraft several times. Wild to see it like this.’
The initial Boeing 737 made its first flight in April 1967 and evolved through the years, with variants seating 85 to 215 passengers.
Previously, entrepreneur and university lecturer Steven Northam bought a 1960s Boeing 737-200 on eBay for £5,000 and converted it into a two-storey holiday home.
He spent £3,000 transporting the 14 window-craft 50 miles using a haulage firm and a crane to a patch of land near his home near Winchester, Hampshire.
He has kept much of the original plane, using the passenger seats and signage inside while installing WiFi, heating, a shower and an ‘entertainment hub’.
