Not many bands can lay claim to having their own plane, and even fewer of them can say that the lead singer is the pilot. Such is the case with legendary heavy metal band Iron Maiden, whose lead singer Bruce Dickinson is a licensed pilot who can fly the band’s 757 jumbo jet.
The band, currently on a world tour, recently touched down in New Jersey where ABC News caught up with Dickinson to discuss what it means to be a pilot by day and hard rock singer by night.
The band, their 60-person crew and support staff and more than 12 tons of equipment, all fit on the plane, which is a specially commissioned and converted Astraeus Boeing 757 decorated with Iron Maiden’s mascot “Eddie.” Dickinson, who is qualified to fly for Astraeus Airlines, expects to log more than 50,000 miles as captain during the tour.
