---
title: "Iron Maiden’s 747, and Other Airborne Rock Stars"
description: "Pour one out for Buddy Holly."
date: "2016-02-18"
modified: "2016-02-18"
authors:
  - name: "Will Sabel Courtney"
    job_title: "Contributor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/will-sabel-courtney"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/vintage/2246/iron-maidens-747-and-other-airborne-rock-stars"
categories:
  - "Culture"
  - "History"
  - "News"
tags:
  - "airplanes"
  - "Aviation"
---

# Iron Maiden’s 747, and Other Airborne Rock Stars

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/archive-images/rockstars-planes-hero.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Iron Maiden’s new Boeing 747 [touched down at the U.K.’s Cardiff Airport](<https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153295696157051.1073741832.172685102050&type=3>) on February 17, it did so with all the style you’d expect from a jumbo jet belonging one of the world’s biggest metal bands. “Ed Force One,” as the group’s private plane is called, will ferry the band across the planet on their 47-stop “The Book of Souls” tour, with none other than lead singer Bruce Dickenson—not to be confused with [*The* Bruce Dickinson](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/More_cowbell>)—behind the yoke. (Fun fact: He used to fly 757s for charter airline Astraeus when he served as marketing director.)

But Ed Force One is just the latest in a long line of high-flying rock star rides. Rock ‘n’ roll and the jetliner came of age around the same time, and they each found a wonderful partner in the other. Rockers used planes to spread their fame (and loving) around the world; jets used rock ‘n’ roll to seem even more glamorous. It was a match made in heaven. Or, at least at 35,000 feet.

![rockstars-planes-art-1.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content/archive-images/rockstars-planes-art-1.jpg>)
*Bruce Dickinson crouches in front of his prop plane before flying to Paris in 1998., *Naki/Redferns**

![rockstars-planes-art-2.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content/archive-images/rockstars-planes-art-2.jpg>)
*Mick Jagger brushes up on the news between concerts in the Rolling Stones' private jet during their 1975 American tour., *Christopher Simon Sykes/Hulton Archive/Getty Images**

![rockstars-planes-art-3.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content/archive-images/rockstars-planes-art-3.jpg>)
*Michael Jackson arrives in Hamburg on his private plane in 1992., *Daniel Posselt/ullstein bild via Getty Images**

![rockstars-planes-art-4.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content/archive-images/rockstars-planes-art-4.jpg>)
*Nazareth's Darrell Sweet prays aboard a small private plane flying from Liverpool airport in 1973. , *Fin Costello/Redferns**

![rockstars-planes-art-5.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content/archive-images/rockstars-planes-art-5.jpg>)
*Tommy Bolin pretends to read Creem magazine during Deep Purple's tour of Japan in 1975., *Fin Costello/Redferns**

![rockstars-planes-art-6.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content/archive-images/rockstars-planes-art-6.jpg>)
*Elton John being Elton John on a private plane, circa 1975., *Terry O'Neill/Getty Images**

![rockstars-planes-art-7.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content/archive-images/rockstars-planes-art-7.jpg>)
*Model Jerry Hall on a plane from Scotland with Mick Jagger and Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones during the Stones' 1982 European Tour., *Michael Putland/Getty Images**

![rockstars-planes-art-8.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content/archive-images/rockstars-planes-art-8.jpg>)
*The Beatles' manager Brian Epstein, Paul McCartney and others play a game of cards aboard an airplane in the midst of a tour., *Archive Photos/Getty Images**

![rockstars-planes-art-9.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content/archive-images/rockstars-planes-art-9.jpg>)
*Billy Joel posing in the cockpit of his tour plane during his 1980 tour of the Midwest., *Richard E. Aaron/Redferns**

![rockstars-planes-art-10.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content/archive-images/rockstars-planes-art-10.jpg>)
*Glenn Hughes, Ian Paice, David Coverdale, Ritchie Blackmore, and Jon Lord of Deep Purple pose at the foot of their Starship Jet plane on the 1974 U.S. tour., *Fin Costello/Redferns**

![rockstars-planes-art-11.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content/archive-images/rockstars-planes-art-11.jpg>)
*Aerosmith's Steven Tyler dreams on before a concert at Michigan's Pontiac Stadium., *Fin Costello/Redferns**

![rockstars-planes-art-12.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content/archive-images/rockstars-planes-art-12.jpg>)
*John Paul Jones of English rock group Led Zeppelin plays a Thomas electric organ behind the bar on "The Starship," a private Boeing 720B airliner used by the band in 1973., *Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images**

![rockstars-planes-art-13.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content/archive-images/rockstars-planes-art-13.jpg>)
*Sid Vicious of The Sex Pistols peruses a magazine on a plane in 1977., *Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images**

![rockstars-planes-art-14.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content/archive-images/rockstars-planes-art-14.jpg>)
*Elton John travels in a private Boeing jet—complete with piano bar—during his 1974 US tour., *Terry O'Neill/Getty Images**

![rockstars-planes-art-15.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content/archive-images/rockstars-planes-art-15.jpg>)
*Keith Richards and Ron Wood of the Rolling Stones drink, smoke and chat on board their plane between gigs during the Rolling Stones' 1975 Tour of the Americas., *Christopher Simon Sykes/Hulton Archive/Getty Images**

![rockstars-planes-art-16.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content/archive-images/rockstars-planes-art-16.jpg>)
*Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards in the Rolling Stones' private jet during the group's 1975 American tour., *Christopher Simon Sykes/Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesP**

## Author
Will is the former managing editor of *RIDES Magazine* and the former online editor for *0-60 Magazine*. He has worked for *Time Out New York* and *Rolling Stone*, and was the creator of *College Cars Online*, the first automotive blog specifically targeted at college students and young professionals.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/willsabelcourtney>)  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/willscourtney>)