Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson and The Great War Display Team will stage a 12-minute air display in the skies above Knebworth Park prior to the band’s performance at Sonisphere UK on July 5.
The staged “dogfight” will commemorate the 100th Anniversary of The Great War; a 21st Century tribute to the daring - and often downright dangerous - exploits of both the English and German pilots who ruled Europe’s skies between 1914-1918.
The show features nine aircraft of 5 different types, all exact replicas of the planes used in WW1 combat. Bruce will be flying his very own Fokker Dr1 Triplane, the same model used by infamous German flying ace Manfred von Richthofen aka The Red Baron.
“The air show over Sonisphere is something I’m really excited about and we’re determined to put on an unforgettable display for everyone,” says Dickinson. “We’re planning an extravaganza of derring-do, especially when you consider the manoeuvres we’ll be performing are all based on true-life battles from a hundred years ago! What some of these fighter pilots achieved back then was nothing short of miraculous given the conditions they were working under and the seriousness of what was at stake. We hope to stage a memorable display which is equally entertaining and poignant, celebrating not only the bravery and heroics of all the pilots involved but remembering the sacrifices made on both sides.”
“Having been brought up on Biggles to the horror of my English teachers, the chance to fly a Fokker triplane Dr1 was second only to owning a Sopwith Camel,” he added. “A share in a Bucker Jungmann and a conversation with Great War team manager Gordon Brander led to a chance to buy a superbly constructed full size replica of the iconic German fighter. Built by the late John Day I intend to display the aircraft with the team in commemoration not just of the Great War, but also as a tribute to one of the UK's premier engineer/builders.”
The Great War Display Team performs re-enactments throughout the UK and Europe.
Sonisphere UK will feature Iron Maiden’s final performance of the Maiden England world tour.
By the end of the trek, Iron Maiden will have played 102 shows in 32 countries to well over two million fans since starting in the USA in June 2012.
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Search Iron Maiden at hennemusic
