Come and meet rock god Bruce Dickinson…

…at the Vulcan Restoration Trust’s Christmas Social Afternoon and Buffet.

The event takes place on Saturday 6 December, at the Hawkwell Village Hall, Main Road, Hockley, Essex SS5 4EH.

Strictly ticket only, and there are only about 30 tickets left, so don’t delay.

For anybody that doesn’t know, Bruce has plenty of aviation in his blood:

Bruce Dickinson’s love of aviation stemmed from being taken to local airshows from a very early age, and he was particularly impressed by the displaying Avro Vulcans. Bruce fell into the trap of assuming that flying was beyond his academic level, that is, until the drummer of Iron Maiden, the British heavy metal rock band that Bruce ‘screams’ for, gained his PPL. Bruce is quoted as saying “if a drummer can learn to fly then anyone can!”

With a first lesson completed in Florida in 1992, and a PPL subsequently gained, Bruce embarked on a solo music career. As a back-up plan, should this move prove to be a mistake, Bruce decided to further his flying with multi-engine and night ratings, aiming for a possible career behind the yoke. Although he rejoined Iron Maiden in 1992, his alternative career path continued. Bruce would often ferry the band around in a Cessna 421 twin. At the turn of the new Millennium, Bruce gained his commercial licence and was taken on as a 757 First Officer with British World Airlines, spending some time in training at Southend Airport. On British World’s demise, Bruce moved onto new airline Astraeus, again flying 757s, becoming a Captain in May 2007.

Bruce’s celebrity status has allowed him the chance to fly a number of aircraft for television, from Tiger Moths to airliners.

Now balancing both careers, he has even managed to merge the two, flying special ‘Bruce Air’ charters (with 666 flight numbers!) and carrying the band and fans to overseas ‘gigs’. One of Astraeus’ 757 received a special paint scheme – named Ed Force One, after the band’s mascot, Eddie the ‘ead – and was fitted out as a ‘combi’ to transport Iron Maiden and their entourage and equipment on a massive World tour.

Bruce has twice made the media headlines with Astraeus charter flights into adverse situations. In 2006 he brought 200 Lebanese evacuees back to the UK, and more recently a number of RAF crews returning from Afghanistan.

Bruce’s love of Vulcans has previously seen him return to Southend to take the controls of the Vulcan Restoration Trust’s XL426, when, in August 2006, he carried out a high-speed taxi run at the airport. He will be back this December to talk to the members of the Trust about his varied and colourful aviation career.

Whilst researching for the above, I found a few quotes which deserve, well, quoting! :

“When we took off in the KC 135 tanker, full of jet fuel, the whole fuselage filled with smoke and I thought we had an APU fire!! It turned out that the aircraft HAD actually caught fire the day before over Africa, and the smoke was residual crud and unburnt kerosene sloshing around in the plumbing.

Life is an orange that’s there to be squeezed.
That’s pretty much my philosophy. My dad always told me, ‘I don’t care what you do. Just aim to be the best at it. Even if it’s the world’s best window cleaner.’ From an early age I knew that my life wasn’t a rehearsal, and that if I wanted something I had to get it while I could. Maybe that’s why I’ve experienced so much. I have an insatiable curiosity about the world around us, and I think the best way to find out about something is to try to do it to the max. A lot of people take up a hobby or sport and then find an excuse not to carry on with it. Once I start something, I won’t stop until I’m as good at it as I’ll ever be.

I’ve been bonkers about aviation as far back as I can remember.
My godfather was in the RAF and used to take me to all the local air shows. One of my first memories is of being at one show and I was so little that all I could see ahead were the hems of people’s coats and a vast sea of knees. Then I looked up to see a Vulcan bomber in the sky. It was the most awesome thing I’d ever seen. That was it; I was off building my own Airfix models. Nobody could ever understand why I’d bought three of the same kit. But one wasn’t enough for me. I had to have the whole squadron. I don’t do things by halves.

The biggest sacrifice I had to make when becoming a pilot was chopping off my long hair.
When I took the tests for my first licence in America, I still had hair down to my waist. The examiner gave me a seven-hour quizzing session before we went flying. Then I had a three-hour flight-check ride which started off at sunset and finished in the dark. It must have been the most gruelling test on record. It was obvious that he didn’t like me because I had long hair. Then I’d look at photos of me with other pilots. They looked like the real deal, whereas I still looked like a rock star pretending to be a pilot. As soon as I got my hair cut, people were much friendlier towards me in general. In the past I’d go to the checkout in a supermarket and they looked as if they were about to call 999. Like, I’ve got long hair so I must be a shoplifter, right? As soon as I got my hair cut, they called me sir and smiled at me a lot.

Apart from death and taxes, the one thing that’s certain in this life is that I’ll never be a fashion icon.

😀

To be in with a chance of obtaining a ticket, please send a cheque for £9.00 per ticket – made payable to VRT Enterprises Ltd – and enclose an SAE to:

Keith Harvey,
Treetops,
Woodham Road,
Battlesbridge,
Essex,
SS11 7QW

The ticket price includes a buffet lunch. Parking at the hall is limited, so car sharing would be helpful.

The day will also include all the normal VRT odds and ends, a ‘tombola’, and the drawing of the winning tickets for the Trust’s 2008 prize draw – first prize, an aerobatic flight in a Yak52. :sick:

I reckon these last few tickets will go like the cakes that are hot, so don’t delay!