Dickinson jokes he’s only a part-time singer

Bruce Dickinson has joked he’s only Iron Maiden’s frontman on a part-time basis – because he’s so focused on his love of flying.

And he wishes he’d been born in the 19th century, so he could have lived through the early era of flight.

He’s confirmed he’ll take part in the Duxford Air Show on the weekend of September 13-14, flying his replica World War I fighter plane in a dogfight re-enactment, just like he did above the Sonisphere festival in July.

Dickinson tells the Telegraph: “In my spare time I sing a bit, own a company that fixes airliners, and I’m trying to bring airships back to the skies. I should have been born in 1898, not 1958.”

He adds that he’d grown up wanting to join the RAF, but couldn’t because he was “rubbish at maths and physics.” Instead, he says: “I started flying at the ripe old age of 30. And 7000 hours later I finished up as a Boeing 757 captain and 737 instructor.”

Dickinson, who flew Maiden round the world on Ed Force One in 2008, bought his replica Fokker Dr1 earlier this year and joined the Great War Display Team soon afterwards. Their re-enactment also features Sopwith, Junkers and Royal Aircraft Factory machines.

Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.