Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson will fly the band, their crew and equipment around the world in a Boeing 747-400 jumbo jet when the heavy metal icons embark on their Book of Souls world tour in 2016.
The album is released on September 4 and licensed pilot Dickinson has been using a simulator at his aircraft maintenance company Cardiff Aviation in Wales to prepare for the global trek in the four-engine jet, nicknamed Queen of the Skies.
"When the opportunity arose from my friends at Air Atlanta Icelandic to lease a 747 for The Book of Souls world tour, of course we jumped at the chance, who wouldn't?" said the singer, who recently received the all-clear after treatment for tongue and neck cancer.
"However, even though we have worked out the logistics of taking a plane of that immense size out on tour, I still have to learn to fly it before we can go anywhere! So, I'm currently doing my training to qualify as a pilot and captain on a Boeing 747."
Well, this is big… http://t.co/bqvkcwmzoP pic.twitter.com/I7Hau9vsSh
— Iron Maiden (@IronMaiden) August 25, 2015
The Press Association reports the aircraft is twice the size and over three times the weight of the Boeing 757 used on Maiden's tours in 2008, 2009 and 2011.
The 2016 world tour begins in the US in February and reaches Europe in late May, with dates to be announced shortly.
Check out the first video from The Book of Souls below:
