Reassembling John Travolta's jet down to nuts and 5,400 bolts stage
The old luxury jet movie star John Travolta donated to a NSW aviation museum is being painstakingly reassembled on site.
An American team of aviation experts has arrived in New South Wales to reassemble John Travolta's former luxury Boeing 707 jet at a museum. The aircraft was shipped across the Pacific Ocean in May after Travolta donated it to the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) nearly a decade ago. Once the wings and tail are attached, local volunteers will restore the plane to a state where it can be driven around the tarmac with tourists on board.
The team's mission is in the final nuts-and-bolts stage, working on attaching the plane's wheels and, if time allows, the engines. Both wings are equipped with 2,700 bolts each, making the restoration process labor-intensive, requiring specialized equipment and precise alignment. The American experts, part of Worldwide Aircraft Recovery, are expected to work exclusively on the aircraft for six weeks.
Local volunteers have already cleaned the interior, addressed corrosion, and nearly completed the paint job. Despite the plane not being airworthy, the restoration effort aims to bring Travolta's jet back to a state where it can be driven around the tarmac, offering visitors a glimpse into Hollywood's legacy and aviation history.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
