Got a lucky break and fulfilled one improbability. Spending some quality time with one of the most productive members of Iron Maiden, Bruce P. Dickinson, was a remarkable way to kick-off my 30s. We simulated nighttime flight-runs in Bruce's Boeing 737 on British Airways training grounds at Heathrow.

Bruce and I decided to fly IFR (night) around London and land at Heathrow. In retrospect, we should have picked day-time scenarios as I only had 13 hours of flight-time in smaller planes under my belt. I stared hard at the instruments without much time to enjoy the view between keeping the plane steady and Bruce’s passionate technical lectures.

I had the pleasure of having my friends Chirag and Kim (we've since married) along for the ride, they were patient passengers throughout Flight BA 666-0057.