An old Boeing 727 plane in Bristol has been transformed after getting a vibrant new paint job. The decommissioned aircraft is owned by entrepreneur and property investor Johnny Palmer, who has turned the jet into an office and events space for his media company Pytch.
The plane - dubbed 'PytchAir' - was repainted by three mural artists - Hasan Kamil, Harriet Wood and Curtis Hylton. The art is inspired by the natural world, the surrounding area and the canvas on which it is painted, according to Mr Palmer, who said the artists used their "unique styles" to paint migratory birds, flowers and a portrait on the side of the unusual canvas.
Mr Palmer said: “I always wanted PytchAir to be a visual contribution to the Bristol creative arts scene and the perfect way to do this seemed to be to make an iconic piece of street art out of it. I am awesomely excited about this activity - almost as much as that weird day last year when PytchAir almost blocked a motorway!"
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Last year the plane travelled down the M5 and M4 from Cotswold Airport to Bristol, before being transported to Pytch’s HQ in Brislington.
Mr Palmer has been planning the scheme since 2018 after hearing there was a disused plane at Cotswold Airport. He acquired the aircraft under his property investment company in mid-2020 and secured consent from Bristol City Council for his project in October that year.
'PytchAir' is a Boeing 727 airliner, which is similar in size to a 737 (flown by Ryanair) or an Airbus A320 (flown by Easyjet). But it is distinctive due to its rear-mounted tri-jet engine configuration. It was built in 1968 and has a 40 metre-long aircraft fuselage.
The plane was originally a passenger aircraft with Japan Airlines in the 1960s, but in the 1970s it was converted into a VIP private jet. The aircraft was operating until 2012 when it made its final flight to Filton Airfield, in Bristol - the current home of Concorde.
At 5pm on Monday (March 28), Mr Palmer is inviting local people to Skyline Park, in Brislington, where he will unveil the plane's artwork. Bristol brewery Hop Union will be in attendance with a pop-up bar and The Virtual Venue will also be displaying artwork and short films, he said.
People can register for a free ticket by visiting Pytch's Linkedin or Facebook pages or searching for PYTCHAir Artwork Private Viewing on Eventbrite. "I hope to see many of you at the viewing and join me for a drink from our neighbours at Hop Union," Mr Palmer added.
