The “Mansion in the Sky,” a $5.5 million private plane that Hugh Hefner bought in 1970, famously soared 35,000 feet in the air with star-studded passengers such as Cher, Elvis Presley, and Frank Sinatra in tow. Though the glossy black “Big Bunny” last took flight in 1975, a swankier version is preparing for takeoff again and pouring one out for its debaucherous forebear.
International Jet Interiors and Playboy’s in-house team added top-notch amenities and envisioned plush interiors that nod to ‘70s-era glamour, achieved through sumptuous design flourishes such as crocodile embossed leather wall coverings and sheepskin-covered pilots’ seats. “We love the idea of bringing details into the flight experience that would never be expected,” says Anna Ondaatje, vice president of global brand and franchise strategy at Playboy, noting the aircraft even serves up a three-tiered seafood tower.
Alongside an extravagant dining program informed by Hefner’s affinity for roast beef, lobster, and whiskey, guests will further enjoy a SkyTheater cinema system and a rotating art collection sourced straight from the Playboy archives. And thanks to a technicolor lighting system, the passenger area doubles as a discotheque. “The design of the plane itself allows guests to interact with and enjoy the space in a multitude of ways depending on where (and when) in the aircraft you are,” Ondaatje continues. “It doesn’t just take you somewhere—being on the plane is a journey in and of itself.”
