During a new interview with Triple M Rock, Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson explained why he had to stop flying planes after doing it for almost three decades.
In 2012, the vocalist established Cardiff Aviation, a company for aircraft maintenance, which has now been rebranded as Caerdav. For over ten years, he also flew Iron Maiden, their crew, and equipment worldwide on their private Boeing 747 passenger jet. However, he stepped back now. Dickinson revealed the reason for that, saying:
“I just turned 65. In most jurisdictions in the world, if you’re a pilot – a commercial pilot – at 65, they sneak you round the back and just put a bullet in your brain. Like an old dog or an old horse, gotta put it down now. The last time I went near a commercial aircraft to fly it was in 2017.”
Bruce later disclosed that he still practices fencing, a hobby he adopted in the mid-1980s during a break in Maiden’s schedule following their year-long World Slavery tour. He noted:
“I’m still fencing. I’m a veteran now. There’s a vets team, and I still do Commonwealth championships. Being a vet is brilliant, actually, because all you have to do is survive and wait, and eventually everybody else will die, then you get in the team.”
The singer had revealed during a January 2022 chat with the Associated Press that he would give up his job as the pilot of the band on the next leg of their Legacy of the Beast World Tour. He stated:
“We’re going to be flying, and I’m going to be in the back. Hey, look, I’m 63 – I’m 64 in August. You know, when you get to 65, if you’re an airline pilot, they just take you out the back and shoot, right? So, I’m going to be sitting in the back being the backseat driver.”
Iron Maiden is currently on their ‘Future Past World Tour.’ They’re promoting their seventeenth album, ‘Senjutsu’ as part of the tour’s theme, along with their 1986 album ‘Somewhere in Time.’ Their tour is scheduled to visit Australia and New Zealand in September 2024.
