Elvis' latest hit: Retrofitted private jet a huge attraction at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

OSHKOSH – When Jimmy Webb first told his 475,000 YouTube subscribers he was bidding for one of Elvis’ private planes, this probably wasn’t what they were thinking.

Good thing!

It turns out Webb’s plans far exceeded his fans’ expectations, considering the grounded “Elvis Presley Jet” is one of the can’t-miss attractions at this year’s EAA AirVenture Oshkosh .

“I mean, it’s pretty cool, and it’s Elvis’ plane. You can’t go wrong with that,” said Webb’s wife, Evie.

Host of the popular YouTube channel “ Jimmy’s World ,” Webb was called crazy for buying Elvis’ jet for more than $230,000 despite knowing the 1962 Lockheed JetStar could never be airworthy again.

But Webb took off the wings, retrofitted the old body of the plane to fit on the bottom of an RV frame and made it a valid vehicle for the road — so much so he drove the jet all the way from his Tampa, Florida, home to debut it in Oshkosh.

Now, Webb’s vision is everyone’s gain.

“Oh, he’s still a bit of a wild man, but I think it’s pretty cool what he’s done,” said one of Webb’s subscribers who came to Oshkosh to see him debut the jet.

“I watch this guy on YouTube all the time, and I have to admit this is really cool because it’s like a time capsule.

Webb’s wife said they’ve left the interior intact, so the private plane ― which sat untouched in Roswell for 41 years ― has a true 1960s feel to it right down to the completely velvet-lined seats, couches and countertops.

The cockpit is stocked with Elvis records, album covers and posters while there is a magazine open to a page of Elvis deeper in the plane.

“They’re excited to see it finished and happy to see it work because inside is like a time capsule,” Evie said.

“Everyone who goes inside feels happy to have experienced a piece of Elvis.”

That’s not the only piece of the king fans can get.

Webb stripped down both wings to individual pieces of metal that are for sale, among other pieces of Elvis Presley and aviation memorabilia.

And AirVenture attendees just can’t get enough, as there has been a constant stream of people going in and out of the preserved piece of history.

“Of course, people still think Jimmy is a bit crazy for doing it. Heck, even his wife thinks so,” Evie joked.

“But we’re impressed with the outcome of it.”

Oshkosh is just the start for the Webbs, who intend to display the jet at AirVenture for the rest of the week before eventually hitting other air shows across the country.

“We wanted to see the response here in Oshkosh, and it is overwhelmingly positive," Evie said. "So we want the rest of the world to get a chance to have a piece of Elvis.”

AirVenture runs through July 28.

The 71st EAA AirVenture Oshkosh runs daily through July 28 at Wittman Regional Airport, 525 W. 20th Ave., Oshkosh. Daily tickets are $45 for adult members and $63 for adult non-members. Veterans and active military members pay $45 while kids 18 years and younger are admitted free. For more information, go to https://www.eaa.org/airventure .

Contact Justin Marville at jmarville@gannett.com .

This article originally appeared on Oshkosh Northwestern: Elvis' latest hit: Retrofitted private jet a huge attraction at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh