Iron Maiden singer plans WW1 dogfight at Sonisphere

[Andy_Ross]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/27637906

The air display above Sonisphere will feature nine aircraft, all exact replicas of planes used in combat in World War One.

Bruce Dickinson, a trained transport airline pilot, will be flying his own Fokker Dr1 Triplane, the same model used by German flying ace Manfred von Richthofen, or The Red Baron.

There will also be a German Junkers CL1.

The British planes will be a Sopwith Triplane, a BE2c and an SE5a and will be flown by members of The Great War Display Team, who perform re-enactments throughout the UK and Europe.

 

[Howie Felterbush]

I would hand-strangle a bag of puppies to be at this thing.



(not really, I love puppies)

 

[Monketi Ghost]

Sweet. Bruce is doing it like a gracefully aging rock and roller should: playing lots of gigs for the fans and also having an interesting private life.
Have you seen the Iron Maiden jet? He pilots the band, gear, and everyone's families.

 

[Belz...]

Plus he has his own pilot business.

The man is awesome.

 

[Andy_Ross]

At last years Download Festival Iron Maiden had a Spitfire doing Aerobatics over the festival while they were on stage.

He flies Charter Flights as a sideline from singing with Iron Maiden. A couple of years ago when a holiday company went bust at his own expense he flew an airliner in to 'rescue' the stranded holiday makers and bring them back to the UK.

He also owns Cardiff Aviation Ltd based at the Twin Peaks Hangar at St Athan, Vale of Glamorgan. an aircraft Maintenance Company.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-17906058

 

[ohms]

He is also involved with Hybrid Air Vehicles and has stated that he would like to fly their Airlander airship (formerly part of the US Army's LEMV program) around the world.

 

[stanfr]

Does the plane have "666" on it? Cause that would be awesome...

 

[Monketi Ghost]

Jump in the cockpit and start up the engine,
Roll out the wheel blocks,
There's no time to waste
Gathering speed as we head down the runway
Got to get airborne before it's too late!

 

[Damien Evans]

Does the plane have "666" on it? Cause that would be awesome...

The 757 they use for touring does go by the callsign Flight 666

 

[Crossbow]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/27637906

The air display above Sonisphere will feature nine aircraft, all exact replicas of planes used in combat in World War One.

Bruce Dickinson, a trained transport airline pilot, will be flying his own Fokker Dr1 Triplane, the same model used by German flying ace Manfred von Richthofen, or The Red Baron.

There will also be a German Junkers CL1.

The British planes will be a Sopwith Triplane, a BE2c and an SE5a and will be flown by members of The Great War Display Team, who perform re-enactments throughout the UK and Europe.

Wow!

It must be nice having resources like that.

 

[Random]

Jump in the cockpit and start up the engine,
Roll out the wheel blocks,
There's no time to waste
Gathering speed as we head down the runway
Got to get airborne before it's too late!

Ace's High opens with a Churchill quote. Clearly describing a WWII conflict, not WWI.

(Yeah, my brain went down the same path...)

 

[Corsair 115]

The air display above Sonisphere will feature nine aircraft, all exact replicas of planes used in combat in World War One.

In regards to the bolded, does that mean the rotary-engined aircraft actually have engines which rotate around the crankshaft like the original aircraft did?

 

[jbm]

Ace's High opens with a Churchill quote. Clearly describing a WWII conflict, not WWI.

(Yeah, my brain went down the same path...)

Yup indeed, the video even has Hitler and everything

Official Aces High video

At least it gave me a reason to watch this video again, and tonight I'll dig out some of my old Iron Maiden LPs

 

[Monketi Ghost]

Ace's High opens with a Churchill quote. Clearly describing a WWII conflict, not WWI.

(Yeah, my brain went down the same path...)

All I was doing was mentioning one of their dogfight songs, without specificity to any particular war.

 

[12AX7]

Sweet. Bruce is doing it like a gracefully aging rock and roller should: playing lots of gigs for the fans and also having an interesting private life.
Have you seen the Iron Maiden jet? He pilots the band, gear, and everyone's families.

This. Bruce is absolutely badass!

 

[Andy_Ross]

In regards to the bolded, does that mean the rotary-engined aircraft actually have engines which rotate around the crankshaft like the original aircraft did?

SE5, BE2c and Junkers CL1 have inline engines

 

[Matthew Ellard]

Hard Rock / Iron maiden / Aircraft museums in Australia

Here is an interesting connection.

David Lowy is a major shareholder and director of the large multinational company Westfields based in Australia. He has two interests, flying and playing hard rock. He is worth billions.

He decided he liked Spitfires, so he bought two Spitfires. He needed somewhere to land them, so he bought and started the Temora Aviation museum.
http://www.aviationmuseum.com.au/

To fast track his music career he bought the Australian rock band, The Angels. The lead singer, Doc Neeson dies last week but David Lowy was already up and going with "The Dead Daises" featuring a line up of members from Guns & Roses, Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy etc.
http://thedeaddaisies.com/line-up/

It was David Lowy who flew Iron Maiden into Australia in his own aircraft for their last series of concerts.

Fair enough. Both these blokes have got enough money to enjoy their hobbies and we get the benefit from their museums and air shows.

 

[Sideroxylon]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/27637906

The air display above Sonisphere will feature nine aircraft, all exact replicas of planes used in combat in World War One.

Bruce Dickinson, a trained transport airline pilot, will be flying his own Fokker Dr1 Triplane, the same model used by German flying ace Manfred von Richthofen, or The Red Baron.

There will also be a German Junkers CL1.

The British planes will be a Sopwith Triplane, a BE2c and an SE5a and will be flown by members of The Great War Display Team, who perform re-enactments throughout the UK and Europe.

Eighteen inches high?

 

[I Ratant]

In regards to the bolded, does that mean the rotary-engined aircraft actually have engines which rotate around the crankshaft like the original aircraft did?

.
And throw the castor oil lubricant all over the pilot's faces?

 

[angrysoba]

It certainly sounds impressive, and Bruce Dickinson himself even more personally impressive - it beats spending all his money on coke and heroin and being found in a puddle of his own vomit and faeces - but, and sorry for sounding like a kill-joy here, is "a memorable display which is equally entertaining and poignant, celebrating not only the bravery and heroics of all the pilots involved but remembering the sacrifices made on both sides" really the best way to commemorate the start of that awful conflict?