Bruce Dickinson

I never intended to become a professional pilot. But, as I became more curious about aircraft, and, well, not being John Travolta, I realized that the only way I was ever going to fly a jet is if I got a job.

A few of these interviews have gone slightly awry, because every now and again there has been the odd conflict of interest between interviews because of the Iron Maiden record, and I am a bit long-winded.

In my teenage years I was put off the idea of a career in flying, because I'd convinced myself that you had to be a boffin with degrees in maths and physics, which were my weakest subjects.

My dad always told me, 'I don't care what you do. Just aim to be the best at it. Even if it's the world's best window cleaner.'

My aim as a frontman is always to try and shrink the venue, if you can, to turn that football stadium into the world's smallest club. At least you have to try.

Kids get bored easily. They have got to get out and get their hands dirty: make things, dismantle things, fix things.

If your only arbiter of anything is money, really you should... go and rob banks.

Major labels blow all their money massively and blame it on the band.

I don't like being recognised, I have no interest in being famous at all, I just do what I do. If I could be like Captain Kirk and beam myself up and then beam myself down, I would!

I find that fencing and training give me more stamina and help me deal with the craziness of being on the road so much.

The more guitars we have onstage the better, as I'm concerned.

Don't ask me to put up a shelf, but I love engineering.