Bruce Dickinson made an emergency landing at a Buckinghamshire RAF base when his Fokker Triplane was running low on fuel.
The Iron Maiden frontman – an experienced pilot – was flying near RAF Halton when he diverted to the base as he feared he may not reach his destination with the fuel he had left.
Bosses at the base hailed Dickinson’s actions, saying it would set a great example to trainee pilots.
RAF Halton Squadron leader Gary Coleman tells the Bucks Herald: “We applaud Bruce Dickinson’s decision to divert to RAF Halton rather than press to his destination with potentially low fuel.
“To see such a well-regarded pilot, and world-renowned rock singer, make this decision is great for our student pilots to see. It makes them realise that anyone can find themselves low on fuel due to unforeseen circumstances and that the right decision is to divert.”
Coleman adds that having Dickinson’s “magnificent” Fokker aircraft at the base was a real thrill for the staff.
Dickinson landed under guidelines set out in the Strasser Scheme, which was set up so that aircraft in a real emergency can divert with no extra charge.
The vocalist flew the plane over the Sonisphere festival site in 2014 as part of a dogfight reenactment commemorating the start of World War One.
He was given the cancer all-clear earlier this year after having two tumours removed from his neck.
Maiden will release their 16th album The Book Of Souls on September 4.
