The Airplane Restaurant, Aviation-themed restaurant in Colorado Springs, United States
The Airplane Restaurant is a diner in Colorado Springs, Colorado, set inside a real aircraft parked on the ground. The fuselage of an old Boeing KC-97 serves as the main dining room, with original seats and flight instruments still in place.
The aircraft was built in 1953 as a Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter and served the US military as an aerial refueling tanker. In 2002, the fuselage was brought to Colorado Springs and converted into a restaurant.
Staff members in pilot uniforms create an immersive flying experience while serving visitors. This theatrical touch reinforces the aviation theme and adds to the feeling of being aboard an actual aircraft.
The restaurant sits on Newport Road in Colorado Springs and is open daily. The interior is narrow, as in a real aircraft cabin, so it helps to know in advance that space between seats is limited.
The cockpit of the aircraft is still accessible, and visitors can look at the original pilot instrument panel up close. This part of the plane was left mostly untouched, making it a rare surviving example of a KC-97 flight deck.
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