Bruce pilots some heavy metal

Bruce Dickinson recently spoke to Australia’s News.com.au about his career as a commercial airline pilot with Astraeus Airlines. Dickinson has been flying for Astraeus for six years and moved to the captain’s seat last May.

“I never got into flying because I was pretty crap at maths and physics at school so I just thought I’d be too stupid so ended up being a rock singer instead,” he said. “Then when our drummer got his pilot’s licence I thought, ‘Blimey, if he can get a pilot’s licence, I must be able to’.”

After qualifying, the rock star flew the band around the world in a Cessna 421 but quickly developed a hunger for bigger planes. “Although they pay me pretty well as the singer with IRON MAIDEN, I’m not quite in the John Travolta league of being able to afford my own 707,” he said.

Dickinson circulated his CV and finally got a job as a 757 first officer with British World Airlines. The company failed in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks but Astraeus rose from its ashes. The conversion of Ed Force One to a combination passenger and freight aircraft cost more than $500,000.

Dickinson says the band is attracting a new generation of fans. “We’re playing to a million and half people on this tour, it’s incredible,” he said. “I just think it’s the fact that we’re one of the last originals.” “We haven’t changed, we haven’t compromised ourselves, we haven’t done a deal with Mastercard.” “With Maiden it’s about the music and that’s it. What you see is what you get.”

Sources: Blabbermouth.net

Bruce Dickinson’s Cyber-Flight

According to This Is Nottingham.co.uk, Bruce Dickinson is preparing to embark on a marathon non-stop “cyber flight” around the world in seven days with a group of flight simulator enthusiasts.

Dickinson, who holds an airline pilot’s licence, will be part of a 17-strong British flight team on a virtual round-the-globe adventure called Simfest. Departing from a virtual Sydney International Airport in Australia on Sunday November 4, the journey will take the team seven days and seven nights.

Simfest is part of World-Flight, an annual event in which teams from around the world use home-built flight simulators to fly around the world and raise money for a chosen charity. This year the British cyber pilot team is supporting Cancer Research UK. Gary Oliver and Mark Hastings custom-built their own Boeing 777 flight simulator in Gary’s garage, and are masterminding the British effort, and hope to raise £5,000 for the charity.

The pilots will fly under as many real-world rules and regulations as possible and will be guided by teams of virtual air traffic controllers using VATSIM, the free global virtual air traffic controller network.

Supporters of the mission can follow the flights on web cams and online tracking.

Bruce Dickinson is due to make a short appearance at the world’s largest airshow this summer

Bruce Dickinson (vocalist with Iron Maiden and part time commercial B757 pilot), is due to make a short appearance at the world’s largest airshow this summer. He has agreed to transport the winners of the BBC Children in Need Royal International Air Tattoo competition to RAF Fairford Gloucestershire in July 2007, and we have more details of what this will entail… The winners will arrive at the launch of the Royal International Air Tattoo, on Thursday, July 14th, with Bruce Dickinson at the controls. As well as being front man with Iron Maiden, Bruce pilots the 175 seater Boeing 757 and is based at London Gatwick, flying with Astraeus Airlines. He spends most of his spare time flying holiday makers to the Mediterranean!

The winners will be pampered over the 4 days of the show taking in low-level flights in a private luxury jet, enjoy a VIP behind-the-scenes tour and a visit to the Air Traffic Control Tower. They will also attend the prestigious Gala dinner and stay overnight in a luxury Cotswold Hotel. The next day is also at the Air Tattoo in the VIP Patron’s Pavilion where they will meet the Red Arrows, the RAF’s legendary aerobatic display team.

At the end of the event they will be picked up by Nick Mason from Pink Floyd a keen private pilot and aircraft enthusiast himself.

Each year the Air Tattoo welcomes more than 350 aircraft from around the world and is the “Worlds Premier Airshow”. It provide a great opportunity to see the largest, fastest and noisiest aircraft!

… true “Heavy Metal!

News sent by Ian Doyle

Bruce Dickinson Airlifts Beirut Evacuees

Bruce Dickinson airlifted 200 British citizens who had fled war torn Beirut, Lebanon back to the UK yesterday (20JUL06). The 47-year-old flew a Boeing 757 to Cyprus where he picked up the evacuees and flew them back to London’s Gatwick Airport. A colleague says: “He was only too keen to get involved and help. “He has a strong interest in the welfare of people caught up in international conflicts and cares about what is going on.”

Source: www.contactmusic.com