Boeing 707 Cockpit Makes a Different Kind of 'Barn Find'

A Boeing 707 cockpit makes for a different kind of barn find.

Meg Godlewski

Thursday, December 29, 2022 at 12:58 PM ET

Verified

Owner Peter Fadis working inside the Boeing 707 cockpit after moving it into the barn. [Credit: Peter Fadis]

Key Takeaways:

Retired housing official and lifelong aviation enthusiast Peter Fadis is meticulously restoring the cockpit of a historically significant Boeing 707 in his Bethel, New York barn as his retirement project.
The cockpit belongs to a BOAC 707-436 (G-APFP) which first flew in 1960, once carried Queen Elizabeth II, and famously underwent an extensive repair after a 1967 incident.
Fadis acquired the derelict cockpit in 2020 after it had been stored outside for decades, and he is now diligently cleaning panels, repairing instruments, and sourcing missing parts daily.

See a mistake? Contact us.

The “barn find” is an aviation-enthusiasts dream—you know the one I am talking about. The enthusiast opens the door of a barn in an out of the way place and discovers a (insert enthusiast’s favorite vintage aircraft) inside. We. All. Have. It.

Peter Fadis from Bethel, New York, is living a different version of that dream. Since Fall 2020, he has been restoring the cockpit of a Boeing 707—his favorite airplane—in his barn.