Heavy metal pilot on board for Iceland-Boston flights

By Paul Makishima, Globe Staff

Iceland Express, which bills itself as a discount airline, says it will begin year-round service to Logan International Airport on June 2 with as many as four flights per week for most of the summer to Reykjavík. As an added bonus the carrier announced in a press release that the pilot on some of the flights to Logan would be Bruce Dickinson, front man for the heavy metal band Iron Maiden. Dickinson has logged more than 7,000 hours as a commercial pilot for Astraeus Airlines, which is leasing a special Boeing 757 to Iceland Express that was used by the band on its Final Frontier Tour. The plane was dubbed ''Ed Force One'' in honor of the group's mascot Edward, the Head. Dickinson periodically will serve as captain on Ed Force One throughout the summer, according to Jessica Zahar, an airline spokeswoman. The carrier, which flies to a number of destinations throughout Europe, says that besides Boston it will also offer service to Chicago, Newark, and Winnipeg starting next month.

Captain Bruce Dickinson with Ed Force One