Background

“A bit random, isn't it? Getting a plane and turning it into a coffee shop. How did you even come up with that idea?”

Well, for me, it’s not random at all.

I’ve been flying the A320 family for nearly 10 years, which means most days I drink airline coffee — or, more often, I bring my own from home. As a pilot, we don’t have the luxury of getting up from our desk and walking to the local café for a perfectly brewed flat white (although if we could, I’d probably spend all my money there).

But maybe good coffee isn’t just a luxury anymore. Maybe it’s becoming a basic human right?

During COVID, I lost my job for two years. At one point, desperate for work, I walked into a local coffee roasters and asked for a job. I didn’t even drink coffee back then — but I jumped in headfirst and fell in love with the craft. I discovered just how complex and fascinating coffee can be.

And so, the perfect storm began to brew...

A Vision Begins to Take Flight

Imagine: a coffee brand with an aviation theme, created for people like me — my tribe, my community — and with a big, bold mission to transform how coffee is served on aeroplanes.

While I’m not going to comment on airline coffee (certainly not my employer’s...), let’s be honest — a lot has changed in aviation. In-flight entertainment has evolved, high-speed internet is now common at 36,000 feet... but coffee?

Still a kettle and a sachet.

The process hasn’t changed in decades. And yet, coffee can be such a powerful point of human connection. Let me ask you this — if you had a beautifully made flat white while looking out of the window, chatting with the person next to you for hours over a shared cup, wouldn’t that flight be more memorable?

That’s the vision: revolutionise coffee on aeroplanes.

How Do You Even Start?

Let’s break it down. Airlines rely on huge suppliers — often third parties focused more on cost than quality. The infrastructure to brew good coffee onboard doesn’t really exist yet.

So, can we go straight to a major airline and pitch this idea?

Probably not.

So we decided on another approach: buy our own plane, convert it into a café, and prove it’s possible to serve truly excellent coffee from an aircraft. Maybe others will copy the idea. Maybe standards will start to change.

Simple, right?

Plane 1: The Garden of Planes

The idea came to life on April Fools’ Day — yes, really. That’s the day I officially registered the business. But no one took me seriously (understandably), so I waited until the next day to post it on Instagram:

“We want to buy an aeroplane and serve coffee on it — to prove it’s possible to brew an outstanding cup of coffee on a plane.”

The response was incredible. People messaged: “Amazing idea!” “I can help!” And before I knew it, I was off to see my first aircraft.

In the middle of nowhere, I found a house surrounded by 80 old, unused, or scrap aeroplanes. I’m not exaggerating — a random garden filled with Cessna 152s, 172s, 182s, Pipers — every kind of light aircraft you can imagine.

It was exciting... but reality hit quickly.

The planes were in terrible condition. They needed a lot of work to be converted into anything remotely like a coffee shop. One guy wanted nearly £10,000 for a scrap plane — money I definitely didn’t have. I also didn’t have a trailer to tow it, no storage, no idea how to convert it, no coffee machine... nothing.

Look, I’m a pilot. My trade is flying from A to B — that’s it. As a captain, my role is to build and lead the perfect team to ensure a safe, commercial, and pragmatic operation. This wasn’t something I could do alone.

But I’d learned one very important thing: I needed help.

Plane 2: Brambles and Bold Offers

With the right person now onboard — an engineer with storage space, transport capabilities, and experience converting vehicles into food units — it felt like things were finally moving forward.

So, I went all in: Facebook Marketplace, auction sites, anywhere I could possibly find a plane to make this vision real.

At one point, I thought maybe it’d be cheaper to find something without wings. Maybe we could just build our own wings? So, Plane 2 was just that — the cockpit and seating area, buried under a mountain of brambles.

I said, “I’ll clear the brambles and take it off your hands. How much do you want for it?”

“£5,000,” he replied.

Really?! Surely not. I didn’t have that kind of money.

“Could I pay once the coffee shop is up and running? You're not exactly using it right now.”

“No.”

So, on we went to the next plane. But the question stuck with me — why is scrap metal so expensive?!

Plane 3: The Adventurer with a Missing Plane

Then, from Facebook Marketplace, a new hope appeared.

We called the seller, agreed a price, and spent hours chatting over the next few weeks. He was in his 80s and had lived a full life — flying across Africa in light aircraft, surviving a crash and being rescued after two days, stories like something out of a movie.

But more recently, he’d been in some... let’s say, controversial situations. The police were after him, and he needed to sell everything quickly.

Then, the week before collection, he looked in his garage — and the plane was gone.

He lost the plane.

Honestly, how do you even lose a plane? These people just have spare aircraft lying around like old garden furniture. It was madness.

Plane 4: Too Good to Be True

Back on Facebook Marketplace again — and then came Plane 4. A beautiful, clean fuselage. Structurally sound. The best condition I'd seen so far. And the price?

£2,000. An absolute bargain compared to everything else.

I asked, “Where are you based?”

“Grimsby,” they said.

Okay. I did some digging — searched for aircraft salvage yards in Grimsby, tried to find any sign of aircraft activity in the area. The address didn’t quite match up. Something felt off.

So I looked up the aircraft registration to do a background check...

Turns out, the aircraft was actually based in America — and still listed for sale online for $6,000.

Yep. Too good to be true.

Plane 5: A Sign from Nan

Next up was a Piper — this one felt promising. It belonged to a friend’s family member, so the connection gave me confidence. It wasn’t in great condition (it had been sitting in a scrapyard), but for £1,200 delivered to my driveway, it felt like a no-brainer.

I did some research.

Turns out, it had recently overrun a runway while landing — shot across a road and came to an abrupt stop in a forest. A dramatic story, but thankfully, no one was hurt. So, no bad energy.

And then came the kicker — before it arrived in the UK, the aircraft had lived in Finland, in the same region where my Nan grew up.

“This has to be a sign from her,” I thought. “It’s meant to be.”

But... the day before delivery:

“Really sorry mate, but someone’s offered double and they’re picking it up tomorrow.”

“Okay, no worries. But... who’s buying all these crashed planes?”

“A movie director, mate. There’s a big market for wrecked aircraft. They use them in crash scenes — blow them up in films.”

Right. I’m now competing with Hollywood directors and blockbuster budgets.

Plane 6: The Cessna 152

Then, finally — a win. We found a Cessna 152. It popped up randomly, and for only £500, we took the leap.

Now, full disclosure: it’s not in the best condition. In fact, if you asked most people what it was, they wouldn’t say plane. Even my 4-year-old nephew looked at it and called it a helicopter.

But still — for £500, it was worth a try. With a bit of work and some added wheels, it already looked a lot better. It's still being finished, needs wings, and needs to be made safe to tow, but it’s shaping up to be the perfect starter plane — something we can even hire out for small events.

But let’s be honest — it’s not a jet.

And since this whole mission is about revolutionising the way we drink coffee on airliners, the Cessna doesn’t quite match the “Jet Bean Coffee” name or ambition.

Still, we had something now. More importantly, we had experience — and a better idea of what to look for.

The Jet Age: A New Chapter Begins

And then... we found it.

A Cessna Citation Mustang — a sleek, four-seater private jet, over 40 feet long. A high-performance machine with serious presence.

This is the one we’re converting into our flagship coffee jet.

The story of how we got it?

To be continued…

We really really appreciate your support in making our dream become a reality. If you want to support our cause, how about try some Jumbo Jet Espresso?

Nathan Raab
Airline Pilot | Better Coffee Advocate | Jet Bean Founder