Though science argues against the benefit of having too many choices because they actually create more confusion, here's one situation when we should be glad of options. Glamping is about to get more diversified, more glamorous, and more thrilling.
Glamping is the more sophisticated (or just the more pretentious) sibling of regular camping. It's camping without a tent but with all the comforts of a hotel stay, including fancy features like pools, room service, and gourmet meals.
Glamping is taking your 5-star hotel or resort room to whatever remote location you want, so you get the best of both worlds: enjoying immersing yourself in nature while wanting for absolutely nothing. There's a reason they call it a "rich people’s camping" as it enables you to go off-grid in complete luxury.
Since 2020 when the world went into unexpected shutdown for a while, glamping has picked up speed. Once the world opened up again, people looking for new adventures without the inherent compromises or discomforts of life in an RV, a van, or a tiny house, became the target customer for all manners of glamping solutions and services.
Photo: Mega Remodeling
The hottest are those that repurpose or upcycle an unexpected item into a temporary home. That item can be anything from an airplane to a vintage UFO-shaped chalet, a shipping container, a vintage Airstream, or anything else that comes to mind. We will soon be able to add decommissioned helicopters to that list.
Mega Remodeling Solutions is a U.S.-based home remodeling company planning to make that happen. They announced the initiative earlier this month on social media and launched a companion website for the project that will be called simply Helicopter Glamping. It's not the most creative name, but at least it gets straight to the point.
A launch date is set tentatively for the first quarter of 2024, somewhere in the Joshua Tree National Park in California. "Brace for a reinvented helicopter living experience," reads the description of the project.
Photo: Mega Remodeling
It comes with the rather surprising tag "ecovacation," which hints at a sustainable aspect of the project that might go beyond the upcycling of decommissioned aircraft. Luxury and sustainability, now that would be a different approach!
Based on computer-generated images for the Helicopter Glamping project, it will be quite an experience, indeed. The designers plan to take decommissioned helicopters and then turn them into rental units, either on their own or as part of larger structures that will see the grounded birds integrated into more traditional cement structures.
The styling will definitely be glamorous if the renders are any indication: lots of golds and deep rich tones of brown and green, plush fabrics, and minimalist but slightly decadent décor. The renders imagine the upcycled helicopters in various seasons, with and without luxury additions like pools, decking, and outdoor lounges. The message is clear: these units will be all-season and uncompromising in terms of luxury amenities and comfort.
Photo: Mega Remodeling
In some photos, most of the donor helicopter has been retained so that, from afar, it still looks like an aircraft. In others, the bird has been chopped up or built into a larger cement structure to enhance comfort and space for the guests. All proposed units show a king-sized bed and maybe a lounge area, but we assume bathroom facilities will also be available. There'd be no glamping without them.
This sums up all the details available on the project right now, which is slightly underwhelming, considering how awesome the renders came out. The good news is that, with a planned Q1 2024 debut, more info is bound to emerge soon because the project should already be in an advanced development stage.
Upcycling aircraft for glamping units might seem an odd choice, but the reality is that it's been done for years – both for glamping and for full-time living. Former airliners are preferred for this type of upcycling because they provide tough, insulated, and very durable shells that are also spacious – so, more versatile because of it.
Photo: Mega Remodeling
Even the odd helicopter conversion has made headlines in the past, though this is arguably the first time that a company takes on a project of this scale. That's what we infer from the renders, at least: the project will include several such units, each with their distinctive styling and location. We reached out to Mega Remodeling for clarification and will update the story when and if we hear back.
Either way, this would be a great way of giving new life to discarded old aircraft, so taking waste and turning it into something new and beautiful. This will also be a neat way of experiencing the great outdoors, especially for those for whom personal comfort or luxury are priorities. At worst – assuming nothing comes out of the plans made public – Helicopter Glamping will be just an awesome flight of fancy. We couldn't resist the pun.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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