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Higher identified for its ‘Ed Force One’ 747 that carried them everywhere in the world on a music tour, the rock band Iron Maiden has initially used two Boeing 757 plane for its worldwide excursions again within the 2000s. These have been really the unique ‘Ed Force Ones,’ previous to ‘leveling up’ to the jumbo jet. What occurred to the 757s, and the place are they now? (Trace: One plane had its final flight three days in the past!)
Two Boeing 757s
The band really used two totally different 757s, every for a unique tour. These got here from Dickinson’s ‘other job,’ now-defunct British constitution provider Astraeus Airlines, primarily based out of London Gatwick.
The plane chosen for its 2008 “Somewhere Back in Time” tour was registered as G-OJIB. Its first flight was in 1989. Previous to flying with Astraeus, the narrowbody jet flew passenger service for airways similar to Air 2000, Canada 3000, First Selection Airways, and Ghana Worldwide Airlines.
The second 757 used to fly the band took on its particular Iron Maiden livery in 2011 for the “Final Frontier World Tour.” Curiously, the band had initially supposed to make use of G-OJIB once more however, for some cause, was changed by G-STRX. This plane is barely youthful, having had its first flight in 1992. Like its predecessor, it additionally flew fairly often for Canada 3000 airways.
Each jets have been flown via Astraeus Airlines and thus needed to discover new houses after the provider went into administration in 2011. Certainly, the 2 Boeing 757-200s discovered themselves going to totally different homeowners after the airline’s collapse. Let’s discover out the place these two jets are actually.
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G-STRX
Let’s begin with the plane used on the band’s second tour – simply because it doesn’t exist anymore.
G-STRX was leased to Thomson Airways after which to Iceland Express earlier than being renamed EI-ETR after the Astraeus’ collapse in 2011. As EI-ETR, it went to Worldwide Lease Finance Company and, in response to Planespotters.web, was damaged up in July 2012 at Phoenix Goodyear Airport.
G-OJIB
After its tour, G-OJIB could be leased to easyJet, then go on to serve Saudi Arabian Airlines earlier than ending up at Thomas Cook dinner UK (nonetheless employed from Astraeus this complete time). When the airline went below, FedEx purchased the plane.
It was at this level, in Spring 2013, that the worldwide delivery firm transformed it right into a cargo airplane. Starting its new profession as a freighter in May 2013, the plane (re-registered as N938FD) has been flying cargo service fairly often ever since.
The plane nonetheless flies in the present day and, on the time of publication, is in Flint, Michigan, after having operated a 40-minute flight from Indianapolis, Indiana, on November 27th. It has primarily been used for service inside the USA however has additionally flown to San Jose in Costa Rica, in addition to Panama Metropolis, Panama.
Have you ever noticed the ‘once-Iron Maiden-Boeing 757’ these days? Tell us within the feedback.
