Bruce Talks About Ed Force 1 - "It Is the World's Biggest Bus"
Bruce Dickinson spoke with Darryl Sterdan from Sun Media recently about a number of topics including the band's new movie, Flight 666. A few excerpts from the chat follow:Sun Media: You're raising the bar here - plenty of musicians drive the van and a few drive the bus, but you don't see anybody else flying the plane.
Dickinson: "(Laughs). Well, it is a bus, really. It is the world's biggest bus."
Sun Media: Flying every day and playing every night seems like a heck of a schedule.
Dickinson: "Well, it would be if I did that. The documentary might give that impression, but that's just something people have read into it. If we did an aviation documentary, you'd see how it actually works. I'm not allowed to fly after doing a show - I have to wait 12 hours. That's a regulatory issue. So when you see me flying, we've had a rest day after the show and then left the next day. And at all times on the airplane, we had three pilots as an insurance policy against one getting sick. In fact, one did get food poisoning and I had to take over. If they'd shown that, you'd have seen me flying in shorts and a t-shirt."
Sun Media: Speaking of clothing, I found it curious that you're always wearing a pilot's uniform when you're flying. Why? Couldn't you wear whatever you want when you're chartering the plane?
Dickinson: "Well, we were chartering the plane, sure. But I also work for the airline."
Sun Media: Wait, you were chartering the flight AND working for the airline? So you were getting paid to fly yourself on tour?
Dickinson: "I guess I probably was! Hey, that's not bad, is it? (Laughs)"
Sun Media: You're getting it from both ends.
Dickinson: "And if you can get it from both ends, you should! (Laughs)"
Sun Media: Are there similarities between being a pilot and being a rock singer?
Dickinson: "Well, the image of the pilot is somebody who is always in control. And the image of a rock star is somebody who is always out of control. The truth is, as a pilot, you're not as in control as some people think. You're constantly managing risk. Doesn't mean the airplane's not safe; but the amount of control you have over nature is not absolute. Now flip to your rock-star head and you're running around on stage salivating like a maniac, yelling, screaming, snarling. But in fact, the show is quite tightly controlled. If it weren't disciplined, the band would fall apart. So the appearances are different. But under the surface, they're not so different. A pilot has to be aware of his environment and all the things that might affect the airplane. As a singer, you're juggling the audience's emotions and you've got to be aware of all the things that might affect that evening's proceedings."
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