Iceland's Penis Museum

Mr Penis -- Sigurdur Hjartarson, curator of Iceland's Phallological Museum -- is retiring. But the museum will go on! Read about my recent visit on Lonely Planet.

What are the travel dreams of Iron Maiden?

Last month I flew with Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden, who's flying for Iceland Express this summer (amidst a busy Maiden tour -- the guy's got energy). Much more happened than can be packed into a three-minute video -- him joking with the Icelandic crew, paying off his co-pilot $1 for a nice comment, whisking me past security, watching TSA agents asking when Maiden's playing New York next, getting on the Reykjavik tarmac to admire the Iron Maiden's Ed Force One from below.

Check out my full Q&A on Lonely Planet.

Thanks to Bruce. And my pals in Tulsa's Bozack for the soundtrack.

Fly to Live: Aboard Iron Maiden's Ed Force One

Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson has been flying jets for 10 years. Last week, I joined him on the Iron Maiden plane -- the infamous 'Ed Force One' -- on a flight for Iceland Express from Newark to Reykjavik. (The budget airline is expanding its North American routes, with Iceland-bound flights from Boston, Chicago, Newark and Winnipeg).

Bruce is a great guy, offering me jet views from the cockpit and the Iceland tarmac. He told me flying is a 'huge privilege,' like a 'miracld,' even a 'spiritual' experience when you get to hover over 'the earth's shadow.' That's why he keeps this part-time job, as a CAPTAIN pilot, amidst a summer Iron Maiden tour (after Iceland, he was jetting to Basel via London for a Maiden show -- in different attire, no doubt).

Ed Force One, as seen in the super Maiden documentary Flight 666, is 'a bit of a superstar,' to Dickinson. (Actually it's a bit dated, but fine to fly.)

I had fun watching boarding passengers in the terminal gawk at the plane out the window. 'Ohh, we're getting the Iron Maiden plane!,' I heard one voice, turning to find a 50-something New Jersey mom. 'What's the singer/pilot's name again?' Her daughter coolly answered, 'Bruce something.' I gave them the full name. 'Oh I hope he's flying today!'

He was.

I'll have more of my interview with Bruce soon, but thought I'd share some photos.

Photo: Iceland Horses

Last Thursday began with Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson walking me around the Reykjavik airport tarmac to see 'Ed Force One' (the Iron Maiden plane) from all angles. I then flew to Akureyri -- after an hour walk-around central Reykjavik -- took a car past fjords, snow-capped peaks, fishing streams, water falls to Husavik, to see its penis museum (more later), a whale-watching cruise (puffins galore, a few humpbacks) and then saw these guys: Icelandic horses, all lined up.

Not a bad Thursday.

Flying to Iceland with Bruce Dickinson

Bruce Dickinson, lead singer of Iron Maiden (and very funny guy), is flying planes for Iceland Express in his off-season. That's too good to resist. So I'm going on his jet tonight from Newark to Reykjavik. Not a bad place to go for long weekend from US East Coast: links from Newark, Boston & Chicago; it's a shorter flight than NY-LA; and with US$600 fares just a couple days before departure.

So I go, with Bruce Dickinson at the wheel. (Did I make it?)

A bit on Bruce.

Bruce flies a big jet:



Bruce rides a Soviet tank:



Why Bruce is funny:



Bruce fencing on MTV. He once finished 7th in the UK. Guy's serious:



Oh yeah, Bruce singing. Here's 'Flight of Icarus' from the glory days (which are still going on):