I had a lucky break and fulfilled a dream I never thought possible — spending quality time with one of Iron Maiden’s most remarkable members, Bruce Dickinson. Kicking off my 30s by simulating nighttime flight-runs in Bruce’s Boeing 737 at British Airways’ training grounds (Heathrow) was nothing short of extraordinary.

Bruce and I chose to fly IFR (instrument flight rules) at night around London, landing at Heathrow. In hindsight, a daytime scenario might have been wiser, given that I only had 13 hours of flight time in smaller planes under my belt. Most of the flight was spent intensely focused on the instruments, trying to keep the plane steady while absorbing Bruce’s enthusiastic and technical lectures. It left little time to enjoy the views, but the experience was unforgettable.

I was lucky to share the ride with my friends Chirag and Kim (now my wife). They were patient passengers throughout our flight, aptly designated as Flight BA 666-0057.

PS. We all got a lift to the training grounds in Bruce’s vintage WWII Land Rover. That ride was just as much of an adventure as the flight - what a riot!