Video: IRON MAIDEN Singer Talks About The First Year Of His Aircraft Maintenance Business

IRON MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dicksinson spoke to FlightGlobal.com about his recently launched aircraft maintenance business, Cardiff Aviation Limited, which is based at the Twin Peaks Hangar at St Athan, Vale of Glamorgan in Wales, United Kingdom. Dickinson, a qualified commercial pilot, and his company are leasing the 132,000 square-foot hangar from the Welsh government. Check out the report below.

Cardiff Aviation specializes in heavy maintenance of Airbus and Boeing commercial aircraft, and can address virtually any planned or unscheduled engineering or maintenance challenge, project or issue.

As well as maintenance of airliners and other large aircraft for several major and independent airlines, Cardiff Aviation will have facilities to complete the full range of ancillary aircraft maintenance activities for commercial, business and specialist aircraft, including storage and maintenance, interior and exterior refurbishment, technical and flight training, and has the expertise and approvals to certify aircraft from many jurisdictions, including the USA.

Bruce is joined in this venture by experienced aviation entrepreneurial resource and investment.

Dickinson wanted to be a pilot from the age of five (until his "fascination with guitars took over") and has flown aircraft for a number of airlines, from British World Airlines to Astraeus Airlines until it folded in November 2011.

Dickinson told CNN.com in a 2007 interview, "Aviation's been kicking around my family for as long as I can remember; my uncle was in the RAF. But I always thought I was too stupid. I was useless at math and majored in history at university, so I thought history majors don't become pilots, let alone rock stars. And then our drummer learned to fly, so I said if a drummer can learn to fly, then anyone can."

He added, "I never dreamed I would end up flying an airliner. I ended up flying IRON MAIDEN around on tour in a little eight-seat, pressurized, twin-engine plane. Basically, we were flying round all the world's major airports, flew across the Atlantic and back, which was quite an adventure. At the end, I thought, I really want to fly something bigger, but I can't afford it — I can't buy my own 707. If I'm going to do that, I have to get a job."